The New York Yankees have been looking for pitching after a devastating sweep at the hand of the Tampa Bay Rays. Big names and trade ideas have been thrown around, yet this isn’t the big move people would think of. The New York Yankees acquired minor league RHP Addison Russ from the Philadelphia Phillies, and he is in the Yankees alternative site. This deal does not seem like an important move to most, but it has the potential to be a great pickup for the Yankees pitching depth.
Hard Thrower From the Bullpen
Addison Russ can sit in the 94-96 MPH range for his fastball, and it’s got life. He’s got a good fastball and changeup combo, and he can be a replacement in the bullpen for the injured arms. So far in his minor league career, he has a 2.46 ERA and has never had a season with an xFIP above 3.22, where he only pitched 3.1 innings as it was his first year. He commands an 11.8 K/9 with a solid 2.6 BB/9 with a 1.087 WHIP. These are great numbers for a reliever, and he can prove to be a great asset for the Yankees bullpen.
Another Diamond in the Rough
The New York Yankees honestly just fleeced the Phillies, because they just landed a player, who in over 150 innings as a reliever, has never really be bad with a good sample size to stand behind. The Yankees only gave up the DFA’d David Hale, who has had a 4.51 SIERA and 4.56 xFIP since 2018.
He has a 3.45 ERA since 2018, but his peripherals show it’s not at all sustainable, so the Yankees aren’t giving up much at all. Brian Cashman might have just gotten his diamond in the rough with Russ, as he can turn into a big pitcher for the Yankees if given innings.
Overall, this deal makes a ton of sense for the Yankees, and they get away with a reliever with gobs of potential. The price? A guy they DFA’d and were planning to get rid of anyways, so it’s a HUGE win for the Yankees.