Slater to Yankees, Rogers to Mets, but biggest prizes remain on market as MLB trade deadline looms
The New York Yankees acquired outfielder Austin Slater, the New York Mets grabbed submarine pitcher Tyler Rogers and the Cincinnati Reds added Gold Glove-winning third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes in a handful of deals on Wednesday, the day before Major League Baseball's trade deadline.
But the biggest prizes remained on the market, setting up a potentially fascinating 24 hours.
Arizona third baseman Eugenio Suarez, Pittsburgh right-hander Mitch Keller, Cleveland outfielder Steven Kwan and Minnesota reliever Jhoan Duran were among the potential season-altering additions that teams were pursuing ahead of Thursday's 6 p.m. EDT deadline.
The 32-year-old Slater gives the Yankees a dependable right-handed batter for the final two months of the season. He's hit .236 with five homers and 11 RBIs in 51 games with the White Sox this season and has an .859 OPS against left-handed pitching.
'Really excited about the move,' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. 'Talked about it over the recent weeks — just getting more roster flexibility, complementary guys.'
The White Sox acquired minor league pitching prospect Gage Ziehl in the trade.
The Mets upgraded their bullpen by adding the right-handed Rogers, sending the Giants right-handers Jose Butto and Blade Tidwell, along with outfielder Drew Gilbert. The durable Rogers has made 53 appearances this season with a 1.80 ERA, four walks and 38 strikeouts.
The Reds acquired Hayes from the Pirates in exchange for veteran reliever Taylor Rogers — who is Tyler Rogers' twin brother — along with shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura and cash.
The swap gives the Reds an elite defender at third with a manageable contract. The 28-year-old, a Gold Glove winner in 2023, has four-plus years left on the extension he signed with Pittsburgh in 2022.
He will make $7 million in 2026 and 2027 and $8 million in 2028 and 2029, with a club option for $12 million in 2030. He's hitting .236 with two home runs and 36 RBIs this season.
Suárez returned to the Diamondbacks' lineup on Wednesday and went 1 for 4, two days after an injury scare. The slugger — who has 36 homers this season — was hit on the right index finger by a pitch against the Detroit Tigers on Monday.
The D-backs have turned into sellers at the deadline after dropping eight of their last nine games and falling to 51-58. Right-handed pitchers Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen are among the other Arizona players who could be dealt.
In other deals on Wednesday:
— The Los Angeles Angels acquired relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia from the Washington Nationals for left-hander Jake Eder and minor league first baseman Sam Brown.
— The Atlanta Braves acquired veteran reliever Tyler Kinley from the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitcher Austin Smith.
— The Seattle Mariners agreed to add left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving their bullpen another arm as they make a playoff push, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The Pirates will receive right-handed pitching prospect Jeter Martinez from the Mariners.
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AP Baseball Writers Jay Cohen and Mike Fitzpatrick, and AP Sports Writers Will Graves, Andrew Destin and Greg Beacham, contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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