Yankees Land Bullpen Help in Trade With NL Club For High-Leverage Reliever

The New York Yankees have acquired some bullpen help in the form of this NL club's high-leverage reliever.

Jun 13, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (38) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports | Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have finally acquired some bullpen help.

With under five hours to go on Tuesday before the 6 p.m. EST MLB trade deadline, the Yankees swung a deal with the Chicago Cubs for right-handed relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr.

New York will send relief prospect Jack Neely and infield prospect Ben Cowles to Chicago in the trade.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel were the first report on this news.

Leiter Jr. is not having his best season, posting a 4.21 ERA in 36.1 innings for the Cubs. But he is a high strikeout reliever, producing 53 punch outs, which is an area the Yankees' bullpen has been lacking in.

The 33-year-old has also held opposing hitters to a .196 average in 2024, and has notched 7.2 straight scoreless innings to this date. He has struck out 14 of 23 batters he has faced during this span.

Leiter Jr. has closing experience as well, so he is an option for the ninth inning if Clay Holmes can't turn things around. In the very least, the righty can be a strong setup man for manager Aaron Boone to pair with Holmes in the late innings.

Leiter Jr. is making $1.5 million this year and comes along with two more years of control, so he will factor into the Yankees' bullpen in 2025 and 2026.

While acquiring Leiter Jr. is a solid start, GM Brian Cashman must bring in additional relief arms to boost the Yankees' struggling 'pen down the stretch of the season.

Leiter Jr. is also from a family with loads of Yankees and Mets playing experience, as he is the son of Mark Leiter and nephew of Al Leiter.