The MLB Trade Deadline passed at 6pm ET without any major moves from the Yankees. Their most notable addition was another reliever, following their acquisition of Jazz Chisholm Jr. on Saturday and Mark Leiter Jr. earlier on Deadline Day. While this might be a bit underwhelming, the new reliever shouldn’t be blamed for the lack of big trades and deserves a fair chance.
Right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos is coming to the Yankees from the Padres, as initially reported by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Along with De Los Santos, minor-league righty Thomas Balboni Jr. (a great name) is also joining the organization. In exchange, speedster Brandon Lockridge is heading to the Padres.
The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos and minor league right-handed pitcher Thomas Balboni Jr. from the San Diego Padres in exchange for minor league outfielder Brandon Lockridge.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) July 30, 2024
I had a personal fondness for Lockridge, who had been a longtime Baby Bomber with the Yankees since they drafted him in the fifth round out of Troy University in 2018. Rising through the minor league ranks, he achieved 74 stolen bases out of 83 attempts and posted a .295/.405/.382 triple slash with a 114 wRC+ in 72 Triple-A games in 2024. However, breaking into the Yankees’ major league outfield is tough, so the 27-year-old was certainly available for the right deal.
As for the main focus, De Los Santos has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons, most notably with Cleveland and San Diego since 2022. That year, he emerged with a 3.04 ERA, 2.62 FIP, and a 1.069 WHIP for the AL Central-winning Guardians. De Los Santos struck out 61 batters in 53.1 innings and delivered 3.1 shutout frames in the playoffs against the Rays and Yankees.
The 2023 season for De Los Santos was quite similar to the previous year, though his strikeout rate dropped from 28.4 percent to 23.7 percent. Other than that, his 3.29 ERA, 3.48 FIP, and 1.142 WHIP were comparable to his 2022 stats, especially since he pitched in 20 games for Cleveland.
After being traded to the Padres in November for Scott Barlow, De Los Santos has seen his strikeout rate return to its 2022 level, reaching 28.2 percent (10.7 K/9). However, his other stats have risen, primarily due to an increase in home runs allowed. Over 119 innings from 2022-23, he gave up seven homers (0.5 HR/9), but this year, he has allowed 11 in 40.1 innings (2.5 HR/9). While this could be somewhat fluky, it’s definitely a concern that pitching coach Matt Blake will need to address.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25094085/usa_today_21636587.jpg)
De Los Santos mainly relies on a fastball and slider, occasionally mixing in a changeup. Both primary pitches have declined in Savant pitch value, making this somewhat of a project for Blake. Nonetheless, the Yankees’ bullpen needs more swing-and-miss pitchers, and De Los Santos had a 92nd-percentile whiff rate. There’s potential to work with, so we’ll see what develops.
As for the wonderfully named Balboni, he was drafted in the 15th round in 2022 out of Northeastern and recently turned 24 on July 6th. After a challenging 2023, he returned to Low-A Lake Elsinore in 2024, where his strikeout numbers have been impressive. In 34.1 innings out of the bullpen, he has struck out 60 batters, which translates to a remarkable 15.7 K/9. While he still needs to work on reducing his walk rate (currently 5.2 BB/9), he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on.
Leave a Reply