New York previously bolstered its infield with the acquisitions of Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario, but adding an outfielder became more of a need for the club after Aaron Judge went on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right elbow. The Yankees plan to have Judge serve as their DH when he returns.
TRADE DETAILS
Yankees receive: OF Austin Slater
White Sox receive: RHP Gage Ziehl
With Judge sidelined, the Yankees’ outfield also had become overly left-handed. Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham both bat from the left side, and while Jasson Domínguez is a switch-hitter, he has a .585 OPS batting righty in 2025 (vs. .810 batting lefty).
The addition of Slater, a 32-year-old right-handed hitter with a lifetime .798 OPS against southpaws, should give the Bronx Bombers more balance on the grass.
Ziehl, 22, was a fourth-round Draft pick by the Yankees out of the University of Miami in 2024. He has recorded a 4.15 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 14 walks over 82 1/3 innings across three Minor League levels in 2025. Ziehl, whose best pitch is his sweeping slider, profiles as a back-end starter if he reaches his projected ceiling, per MLB Pipeline.
