Yankees Acquire Jason Parker From Reds, Complete Cessa-Wilson Trade

New York traded a pair of relievers for a player to be named later on July 27. Parker, a minor league pitcher, is that player.

The Yankees traded a pair of relievers to Cincinnati for a player to be named later on July 27. Later has arrived.

New York announced the acquisition of Jason Parker on Monday night. The move completes the deal that sent Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson to the Reds—and cleared salary and roster spots—a few days before the trade deadline.

Parker, 23, is a right-hander who is enjoying his first pro season. The North Carolina State product was taken in the 16th round of the 2019 MLB draft, but he found himself on the injured list shortly after signing and didn’t pitch professionally in 2019. The pandemic and subsequent cancelation of the 2020 minor league season left him without a club last year.

This year, however, Parker went 4-3 with a 4.05 ERA in 80 innings and 19 games (18 starts) for the Daytona Tortugas. The North Carolina native was among the Low-A Southeast League’s leaders in several categories, including games started, innings pitched, opponent’s batting average (.214), strikeouts (91) and K% (27.0%).

Parker, 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds, throws a fastball, slider and changeup. The heater sits between the high 80s and low 90s, and he frequently relies on the breaking ball. A source within the Tortugas organization said that the slider is Parker’s best pitch and that his command of it allows him to throw it in any count.

A community college transfer, Parker played for Louisburg College before joining The Wolfpack in time for his junior year. Parker registered a 2.08 ERA for N.C. State in 2019 and blanked No. 1 ranked Florida State a few months before being drafted.

As for the other pitchers in the trade, Cessa and Wilson have enjoyed their time in Cincinnati thus far.

Cessa put up some of the best numbers of his career prior to the deal and he has continued pitch well for the Reds. The righty owns a 2.61 ERA in 10.1 innings for Cincy.

Wilson, meanwhile, has turned his year around. The lefty endured a disastrous second stint with the Yankees after signing as a free agent in February, recording a 7.50 ERA. The change of scenery has been kind to Wilson, however. He has a 1.86 ERA in 9.2 innings since the trade. 

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