Austin Slater is on his way to join the New York Yankees. The Yankees made a deal with the Chicago White Sox, sending minor league pitching prospect Gage Ziehl in exchange for the experienced outfielder. This move is crucial for the Yankees as they need to strengthen their outfield, especially with their star player Aaron Judge sidelined due to a flexor strain in his right elbow.
Slater, who is 32 years old, batted .236 with five home runs and 11 RBIs over 51 games while with the White Sox this season. He’s known for his strong performance against left-handed pitchers, sporting an .859 OPS. Slater shared his thoughts, saying, “Really enjoyed my time here and met some incredible people. Super fun clubhouse to be in. But then also really excited to go play for the Yankees. One of those teams as a kid you always dream about playing for. And they are right in a race for the playoffs. Excited to go there and try to help them out.”
Having played in all three outfield positions, Slater’s experience is valuable. His career began with San Francisco, where he spent over seven seasons before being traded to Cincinnati last summer. The Yankees will mark his fifth team in just over a year. “At this point, we’re a little more prepared than we were last year,” Slater noted. “It was something, there was always writing on the wall that it could happen. That maybe helped us mentally prepare a little bit more this year.”
The Yankees agreed to take on $564,516 of Slater’s remaining $1.75 million salary, impacting their luxury tax by about $621,000. This trade is just one of the many transactions the Yankees have been involved in as Thursday’s deadline approaches. They also acquired Ryan McMahon from Colorado and Amed Rosario from Washington recently.
Meanwhile, the White Sox made adjustments of their own, scratching right-hander Adrian Houser from his planned start against Philadelphia. However, center fielder Luis Robert Jr. was still in the lineup, though he might also be traded soon. Houser, who signed a $1.35 million, one-year deal on May 20, has proven to be a strong asset with a 6-2 record and a 2.10 ERA in 11 starts.
White Sox manager Will Venable commented on the change, saying, “Just with Houser, we were transparent with him, just the market around him and the potential for a trade. Just thought it was in everyone’s best interest to switch starters today.” Additionally, the White Sox called up outfielder Will Robertson from Triple-A Charlotte for their game against the Phillies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. If you’re interested in more stories like this, consider signing up for a personalized newsletter from FOX Sports.
