It's official: Cubs trade Mark Leiter Jr. for Yankees prospects |
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today acquired right-handed pitcher Jack Neely and infielder Ben Cowles from the New York Yankees for right-handed pitcher Mark Leiter Jr.
Neely, 24, is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA (13 ER/41.2 IP) and six saves across 31 relief appearances between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. The right-handed pitcher has recorded 63 strikeouts, compared to 16 walks, in 41.2 IP this season, good for a 36.0% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate. Neely began the season with Somerset, where he posted a 2.61 ERA (9 ER/31.0 IP) and 51 strikeouts in 22 games. At the time of his promotion to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 19, Neely led the Eastern League (min. 20 G) with a 39.2% strikeout rate, while his six saves were tied for second and his 2.61 ERA ranked ninth. The six-foot eight-inch, 260-pound Neely in 2023 went a combined 6-5 with a 2.17 ERA (16 ER/66.1 IP), seven saves and 100 strikeouts in 42 relief appearances between High-A Hudson Valley and Somerset. His seven saves were tied for second-most among Yankees farmhands. Following the campaign, he was named a South Atlantic League Post-Season All-Star and MiLB.com Organizational All-Star. All told, across parts of four minor league seasons, Neely is 11-7 with a 2.75 ERA (49 ER/160.1 IP), 20 saves and 255 strikeouts in 113 games, all in relief. A native of San Antonio, Tex., Neely was selected by the Yankees in the 11th round of the 2021 draft out of The Ohio State University. He is currently rated by MLB Pipeline as the Yankees’ No. 22 prospect. Cowles, 24, is hitting .294 (96-for-326) with 25 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 51 RBI, a .376 on-base percentage and a .472 slugging percentage in 88 games with Double-A Somerset this season. Among qualified Double-A hitters, he ranks fifth in OPS (.848), seventh in batting average, eighth in slugging and 11th in OBP, all of which pace the Somerset Patriots. His 17.7% strikeout rate this year is the lowest of his career, good for seventh-best in the Eastern League. He was named the Eastern League Player of the Month for April after posting a .351 batting average (27-for-77) with three home runs, 14 RBI, a .623 slugging percentage and a 1.057 OPS. The Rochester, N.Y. native has batted .270 (301-for-1,115) with 30 home runs, 158 RBI, a .365 OBP and a .430 slugging percentage across four minor league seasons in the Yankees farm system. Following the 2023 season, Cowles played for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .290 (20-for-69) with four doubles, one triple, four homers, 15 RBI and 12 walks. The six-foot infielder was selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Maryland. As a junior at the University of Maryland, he was named a Baseball America Third Team All-American and earned First Team All-Big Ten and ABCA/Rawlings All-East Region First Team honors. He is currently rated by MLB Pipeline as the Yankees’ No. 29 prospect. Leiter Jr., 33, is 2-4 with a 4.21 ERA (17 ER/36.1 IP) over 39 appearances with Chicago this season, including seven scoreless outings since his return from the injured list on July 9. He originally joined the Cubs organization on a minor league contract ahead of the 2022 season. The #Cubs today acquired RHP Jack Neely and INF Ben Cowles from the New York Yankees for RHP Mark Leiter Jr. pic.twitter.com/XMitN4bWHQ Thank you for consistently bringing your hard work and dedication to the baseball diamond every day.
Good luck in NYC, Mark! pic.twitter.com/A7as5EsyEs
