Yankees land young pitcher with upside in Luke Voit trade

justin lange, padres, yankees

On Friday, the New York Yankees parted ways with one of their top sluggers in Luke Voit after extending Anthony Rizzo on a two-year, $32 million contract. Voit, who was simply the odd man out as a result of the Yankees wanting to take a more lefty-hitting approach, expected to be traded prior to the announcement.

General manager Brian Cashman sent Voit to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Low-A pitching prospect Justin Lange.

Lange is an intriguing player that was drafted 34th overall in the 2020 MLB draft. Baseball America ranks Lange as the No. 16 prospect in the Padre’s system, but with the right coaching, he could become a talented MLB player down the road.

“He’s a talent, he’s got a good arm, he’s a good athlete; all those reasons are why we liked him in the Draft,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. “Ultimately, it’s a prospect that’s a little bit away. It’s going to take him some time. But we expect him to go out and do well for the Yankees. You always have to give up something that’s good to get somebody that’s good.”

At just 20 years old, Lange enjoyed his first action in the Padres farm system, posting a 6.95 ERA over 22 innings pitched.

Based on his tiny sample size of action, making any assumptions on Lange’s capabilities is premature.

The starting pitcher has a wide range of landing spots, but he’s good enough to become a solid player down the road. However, it is disappointing that the Bombers were unable to acquire a player who could at least make an impact at the major league level this upcoming season in exchange for Voit.

Just two years ago, during the abbreviated Covid campaign, Voit led the MLB in home runs with 22. Injuries have dampened his impact recently, but he is still a solid player who can contribute to the winning team.