This transaction is consistent with Jed Hoyer’s goal of improving the Cubs’ future picture at the deadline.
The Chicago Cubs continued their MLB trade deadline maneuvering on Tuesday, sending reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to the New York Yankees in exchange for infielder Ben Cowles and right-handed pitcher Jack Neely, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel.
Leiter Jr. has a 4.21 ERA and a career-best 13.1 K/9 in 36.1 innings this season. The 33-year-old’s strikeout ability is intriguing for a Yankees team aiming to bolster its bullpen ahead of an American League pennant race.
Cowles, a 24-year-old infielder, was the No. 29 prospect in the Yankees’ system, according to MLB Pipeline. The right-handed hitter is slashing. This season, Double-A Somerset batted 294/.376/.472 with 25 doubles, nine home runs, and 51 RBIs in 378 plate appearances.
MLB Pipeline ranked Neely, a 24-year-old reliever, as the Yankees’ No. 22 prospect. This season, the 6-foot-8 pitcher has a 2.81 ERA and 13.61 K/9 in 41.2 innings across Double-A and Triple-A.
This transaction is consistent with Jed Hoyer’s goal of improving the Cubs’ future picture at the deadline. Chicago previously acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays and relief pitcher Nate Pearson from the Toronto Blue Jays.
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