Trade Central: Yankees Acquire Scott Effross From Cubs For Top Prospect

In an effort to bolster their bullpen for the stretch run, the Yankees struck a deal to acquire righthanded reliever Scott Effross from the Cubs in exchange for Triple-A righthander Hayden Wesneski. 

Beyond his stuff—a four-pitch mix led by a sinker and slider combo that plays directly into the Yankees’ emphasis on east-west pitching attacks—Effross is valuable for the five years of control he has remaining before free agency. 

This season, Effross has worked to a 1-4, 2.66 mark and has struck out 50 against 11 walks in 44 innings. He’s been particularly effective against lefties, who have hit just .160/.250/.253 against him in his career. 

Wesneski was the Yankees’ ninth-round pick in 2019, out of Sam Houston State, and had ascended to the No. 4 spot in their Top 30 Prospects and was their top overall pitching prospect. The move also clears Wesneski from the list of prospects whom the Yankees needed to add to their 40-man roster in the offseason.

YANKEES ACQUIRE

Scott Effross, RHP
Age: 28

Effross, the Cubs’ 15th-rounder in 2015 out of Indiana, made his big league debut in 2021 and established himself this season as a particularly nasty weapon out of Chicago’s bullpen. He operates with four pitches: Four- and two-seam fastballs in the low 90s, as well as a high-70s slider and a low-80s changeup. He throws the sinker and slider most often, but his changeup has been exceptional this year. He’s allowed just three hits on the pitch—all singles—this season, and just six in his career. He will be counted on to patch bullpen holes created by injuries to Michael King and Miguel Castro and the ineffectiveness of Aroldis Chapman.

CUBS ACQUIRE

Hayden Wesneski, RHP
Age: 24

After getting his feet wet in 2019, Wesneski emerged from the lost pandemic season as one of the most dominant arms in the system. His upward trend allowed him to reach Triple-A in his first full season and become the top pitching prospect in the organization. Wesneski works with a vast array of pitches, including two- and four-seam fastballs, a low-80s slider, a high-70s curveball, a mid-80s changeup and a newly added cutter. He hasn’t been quite as effective this season, but had rebounded somewhat in July. Rival scouts believe he needs to clean up before he can begin missing bats at the rates he did in 2021, but they also see a nearly ready starter with enough pitchability and stamina to fit into a rotation.