Dealt at the Deadline

While there were bigger trades -- such as the Washington/San Diego Juan Soto blockbuster, there was none more surprising than the Yankees sending Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for center fielder Harrison Bader.
 
While it's no surprise that the Yankees sought an upgrade in center field, with Aaron Hicks declining and Aaron Judge apparently overtaxing his body, Bader still seems a curious choice.  The Westchester County native checks the boxes as a speedy outfielder with some power.  But he's currently sidelined with plantar fasciitis, a serious foot condition some believe is chronic. Montgomery was a solid third-fourth starter, who may not have been on track to start a post-season game, but has been dependable since rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Let's get a quick look at some of the pitching prospects the Yankees moved this week:
Hayden Wesneski went to the Cubs for reliever Scott Effross.  The Sam Houston State product went 9 - 5 in 22 starts last year between Hudson Valley and Somerset, but hadn't been as impressive this summer at Scranton Wilkes-Barre. (This image is from a June 2022 Railriders game at Syracuse.)
Luis Medina won raves for his strong arm and intriguing potential. But averaging four walks every seven innings the last two seasons at Somerset didn't help his cause -- he wound up included in the deal for Frankie Montas.

Joey Gallo's unhappy year in the Bronx ended on Tuesday.
Though he walked occasionally -- as seen here in a September 2021 game against Texas -- his bloated strikeout total and unwillingness to change his hitting style negated his 25 home runs since joining the Yankees.  It's hard to defend a .159 batting average over 140 games.  Now the Dodgers hitting coaches Brant Brown and Robert Van Scoyoc can try and unlock more productivity from this enigmatic player.  After trading away several minor league starting pitchers in other deals, the Yankees brought back Dodgers prospect Clayton Beeter, who'd been playing for Double-A Tulsa.

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