The New York Yankees have bolstered their bullpen. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Yankees acquired right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs will receive infielder Ben Cowles and right-hander Jack Neely. For the Yankees, they have been eyeing a swing-and-miss reliever for some time. Leiter isn’t an ideal strikeout pitcher, but his sinker, his hardest pitch, averages at 91.3 mph, but ranks in the 98th percentile with a 36.7 percent whiff percentage. His 34.9 percent strikeout rate is tied for 12th in the majors among relievers with at least 30 innings pitched.
Yankees Acquiring Mark Leiter Jr. from Cubs
Leiter, the nephew of Al Leiter, will boost a relief core that has seen struggles from Clay Holmes of late and the bullpen suffering multiple injuries. In 39 games, Leiter has a 4.21 ERA, but also has an impressive 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a respectable 3.2 walks per nine. He will likely work behind Holmes and the Yankees will continue to look to add bullpen help. New York has been linked to Miami Marlins closer Tanner Scott of late.
A minor league deal with the Cubs in 2022 was the opportunity Leiter needed. After multiple stops with different teams, he was on the major league roster by mid-April. Leiter threw 65 2/3 innings for the Cubs with a 3.99 ERA while striking out 25.9 percent of batters he faced. He elected free agency but re-signed with the Cubs on a minor league deal prior to the following season. Leiter has been a key part of Chicago’s bullpen since, posting a 3.75 ERA in 100 2/3 innings since then.
The Cubs have been going back and forth with trades for the present and future. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer went as far as saying that the club would focus on 2025 and beyond. Chicago went out and acquired Isaac Paredes from the Tampa Bay Rays and Nate Pearson from the Toronto Blue Jays. Both players have multiple years of control.
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