In need of outfield depth, the New York Yankees acquired veteran journeyman outfielder Austin Slater from the Chicago White Sox for minor-league pitcher Gage Ziehl, as first reported by YES Network’s Jack Curry on Wednesday.
Slater, 32, appeared in 51 games for the White Sox this season — his fourth team since the start of the 2024 season. After seven years with the San Francisco Giants, he was flipped to the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles before signing with Chicago during the offseason.
He is batting .236 with a .721 OPS, five home runs, and 11 RBI this year.
Extra outfield depth had become a late need for the Yankees after superstar slugger Aaron Judge landed on the 10-day injured list due to a flexor strain in his right elbow.
General manager Brian Cashman has been busy leading up to Major League Baseball’s trade deadline on Thursday, addressing their uncertain infield picture by picking up Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies to play third base, with Amed Rosario adding extra versatility by way of the Washington Nationals.
Whether or not they stop at Slater remains to be seen when it comes to addressing the outfield. While Rosario has gotten reps in right field since his arrival, New York has also been linked to an old friend in Harrison Bader in recent days.
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