The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor league infielder Ben Cowles and right-handed pitcher Jack Neely.
Leiter Jr., 33, has gone 2-4 with a 4.21 ERA (36.1IP, 27H, 20R/17ER, 13BB, 53K, 2HR) in 39 relief appearances this season with the Cubs. He has posted a 13.13 strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio this season, the fifth-highest K/9.0IP ratio among National League relievers and 10th-highest among Major League relievers. His 34.9% strikeout rate (53K/152BF) also ranks fifth among National League relievers. His 14.3 inherited runners scored percentage (3-of-21) is the best in the National League and the third-lowest in the Majors.
The right-handed pitcher has held opponents to a .196/.270/.261 (27-for-138) slash line this year, posting the eighth-lowest opponents’ slugging percentage and ninth-lowest opponents’ OPS (.531) among NL relievers. Since returning from the injured list on July 9, has retired each of his 23 batters faced over seven relief appearances, recording 14 strikeouts during that stretch (7.2IP).
Over parts of five Major League seasons (2017-18, ’22-24) with Philadelphia (2017-18), Toronto (2018) and Chicago-NL (2022-24), he has gone 8-21 with seven saves and a 4.53 ERA (282.1IP, 252H, 166R/142ER, 105BB, 309K, 44HR) in 190 games (15 starts). The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native was originally selected by Philadelphia in the 22nd round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Cowles, 24, has hit .294 (96-for-326) with 52R, 25 doubles, 3 triples, 9HR, 51RBI, 39BB, 7HP and 14SB in 88 games with Double-A Somerset in 2024. Over parts of four minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2021-24), the infielder has hit .270 (301-for-1,115) with 175R, 68 doubles, 10 triples, 30HR, 158RBI, 150BB, 27HP and 52SB in 325 career games. The Rochester, N.Y., native was originally selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Maryland.
Neely, 24, has combined with Double-A Somerset (22G) and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (9G) to go 1-1 with six saves and a 2.81 ERA (41.2IP, 33H, 14R/13ER, 16BB, 63K, 3HR) in 31 relief appearances this season. Over parts of four minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2021-24), the right-handed pitcher has gone 11-7 with 20 saves and a 2.75 ERA (160.1IP, 110H, 62R/49ER, 62BB, 255K, 14HR) in 113 career relief appearances. The San Antonio, Tex., native was originally selected by the Yankees in the 11th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Ohio State University.
