Yankees Deal Jack Neely, Benjamin Cowles to Cubs For Mark Leiter Jr.

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With the clock ticking on MLB’s trade deadline, the Yankees swung a deal Tuesday to bolster their big league bullpen.

According to a report by ESPN, New York has agreed to send a pair of prospects in Jack Neely and Benjamin Cowles to the Cubs in exchange for veteran reliever Mark Leiter Jr. Neely, an enormous 6-foot-8 righthander, came in at No. 20 in the latest update to the Yankees’ Top 30 prospect ranking.

YANKEES RECEIVE

Mark Leiter, Jr., RHP
Age: 33

Leiter has been effective against both lefties and righties this season and is under control until 2027. The cousin of former Yankees pitcher Al Leiter, Mark works with a sinker, splitter, curveball, sweeper and cutter and has been one of the best in the business this year when it comes to getting whiffs, which he’s generated at a clip of nearly 35%. His splitter in particular has been nasty, with a whiff rate of better than 62%. He should do well to buttress New York’s bullpen down the stretch.

CUBS RECEIVE

Jack Neely, RHP
Age: 24

In terms of pure relief prospects, Neely is one of the best the Yankees’ system has to offer. A year ago, the Ohio State alum was the only minor league pitcher to strike out 100 or more hitters without making a single start. Neely operates primarily with a two-pitch mix that includes a mid-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider. Scouts believe both pitches could be plus offerings in the big leagues, with the slider bordering on double-plus. The breaking ball continued to be a weapon, having garnered miss and chase rates of 57% and 42%, respectively. At the time of the deal, Neely had struck out 63 hitters in 41.2 innings at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Benjamin Cowles, SS/3B
Age: 24

Cowles was the Yankees’ 10th-round pick in 2021 out of Maryland. This season, he was in the midst of a bit of a breakout at Double-A Somerset, where his batting average (.294) and on-base percentage (.376) were each among the Eastern League’s top 10. Scouts see a player with improved bat speed who makes plenty of solid contact but might get exploited at the highest level thanks to an approach geared toward lifting and pulling without much barrel malleability. He has quick instincts on defense, but his lack of range might make the left side a little bit of a stretch.