Yankees trade for pitchers Keynan Middleton, Spencer Howard before deadline
The Yankees added a pair of pitchers before an otherwise quiet trade deadline Tuesday, acquiring reliever Keynan Middleton from the Chicago White Sox and starter/reliever Spencer Howard from the Texas Rangers.
Middleton went 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 36.1 innings with Chicago. The Yankees sent back right-handed starting pitching prospect Juan Carela, 21, who had a 3.67 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 83.1 innings with High-A Hudson Valley.
The 29-year-old Middleton slots into a Yankees bullpen that entered Tuesday with an MLB-best 3.10 ERA. The former third-round pick boasts a mid-90s fastball, a slider and a changeup that he throws more than 44% of the time.
Middleton has also played for the Angels, Mariners and Diamondbacks, pitching to a 4.00 career ERA across seven MLB seasons. He is set to become a free agent after the year.
The Yankees sent cash considerations to the Rangers to add Howard, whom they then sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.
Howard, a former second-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies, has only appeared in three MLB games this year. The right-hander began the season on the injured list with a lat strain and has a 10.80 ERA in four relief innings.
Howard has a 7.20 ERA in 38 career games, 29 of which were starts. The 27-year-old also throws a mid-90s fastball and largely relies on his slider. He is under team control through 2027.
Middleton and Howard represent modest acquisitions for a Yankees team that was 55-51 and 3.5 games out of the third and final American League Wild Card spot when the deadline struck at 6 p.m. The Yankees’ position in the standings prompted speculation about whether they would buy or sell.
“You could see everything, probably, from nothing [happening] to guys leaving to some guys coming,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about two hours before the deadline. “Not really sure what to expect.”
The Yankees moved catcher Jose Trevino, who recently underwent wrist surgery, to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, clearing a spot on their 40-man roster.
Other AL playoff contenders were busy in the days leading up to the deadline. Among them were the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles, who added starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.
The Los Angeles Angels, who began Tuesday a half-game ahead of the Yankees in the Wild Card race, decided to keep soon-to-be free agent Shohei Ohtani before adding starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez.
Additions by the AL West-leading Rangers included starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery, while the Houston Astros — who hold the second Wild Card spot — traded for their former ace Justin Verlander.
The Tampa Bay Rays, who are in the top Wild Card position, traded for red-hot starting pitcher Aaron Civale, while the Toronto Blue Jays, who hold the third Wild Card spot, acquired hard-throwing reliever Jordan Hicks and shortstop Paul DeJong.
