Yankees acquire reliever Mark Leiter Jr. from Cubs for two prospects

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has made an immediate impact on the Yankees’ lineup since being acquired from the Marlins this past weekend, and the organization must expect the same from its new relief. With little under five hours until tonight’s 6 p.m. trade deadline, the Yankees sent Ben Cowles and Jack Neely to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-handed pitcher Mark Leiter Jr.

Leiter Jr., 33, has excellent strikeout ability, retiring 35 percent of batters faced this season. His somewhat unappealing 4.21 ERA is slightly higher than league average, but his xERA and FIP of 2.61 and 2.11, respectively, should indicate that he has been struck by some poor luck.

Leiter is a top ten reliever in baseball, according to my favorite pitching number, K-BB%, and much ahead of any Yankee reliever. As a bonus, Leiter is not eligible for free agency until the end of the 2026 season. This move seems a lot like the Scott Effross trade from a few years ago, and we can only hope that it works out better in actuality. Leiter has more major-league experience than Effross did at the time.

Leiter is the son of Mark Leiter, who pitched 11 MLB seasons and made his debut with the Yankees in 1990. His more famous uncle, Al, began his career with the Yankees before being moved to the Blue Jays and going on to become an All-Star for the Marlins and Mets. Al completed his career where it began, with the 2005 Yankees, and his son, Jack, is a top prospect in the Rangers’ system.

Cowles, a 24-year-old middle infielder sent to Double-A Somerset, has an.848 OPS in 378 plate appearances, but he was recently placed on the injured list after being struck by a pitch last week. Neely, 24, has solid strikeout numbers with Triple-A Scranton but will likely be used as a reliever if he makes the major league roster. So the Yankees simply sped up the process.

Leiter is unlikely to play today against the Phillies, but he should be available for the series finale tomorrow.