After losing Chad Green and Michael King for the season and enduring lots of additional injury issues in their bullpen, the New York Yankees badly needed to address the position.
They did so by striking a deal with the Chicago Cubs for rookie reliever Scott Effross.
“Cubs acquiring RHP Hayden Wesneski for Effross, source tells @TheAthletic. Yankees’ No. 7 prospect, per @MLBPipeline,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweeted.
Cubs acquiring RHP Hayden Wesneski for Effross, source tells @TheAthletic. Yankees’ No. 7 prospect, per @MLBPipeline.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 1, 2022
Effross, however, is not your typical rookie.
First of all, he is 28 years old already, so he is not your typical hotshot prospect.
However, he does have five-and-a-half seasons of cheap team control remaining, something that the Yankees surely considered enticing at the time of giving up their seventh-ranked prospect.
He Has Excellent Movement On His Pitches
Effross has dominated with wicked movement: he throws his sinker at 90-91 mph, but it moves so much that hitters can barely square it up.
He also throws a fantastic slider and a changeup, so he has weapons to keep dominating on the Yankees, a team known for getting the most out of its pitchers.
In 2022, he has a solid 2.66 ERA with an even better 2.19 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) in 44 innings.
He has struck out 50 hitters and owns a solid 45.6% groundball percentage.
Under the tutelage of pitching coach Matt Blake and the rest of the Yanks’ coaching and player development staff, Effross is a sure bet to thrive for years to come.
The Cubs are getting Wesneski, a really solid starting pitching prospect that could be a number three or four in a good rotation once his development is finished.
He is a really good arm that is relatively close to the majors.
All in all, it looks like a good deal for both sides.
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