Yankees get Effross from Cubs, Montas, Trivino from A's ahead of MLB trade deadline
Reliever Scott Effross pitching for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, June 4, 2022. The Cubs traded Effross to the New York Yankees on Aug. 1, 2022. (AP File Photo)
NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Yankees bolstered their pitching for the stretch run and playoffs, obtaining rookie reliever Scott Effross in a trade with the Chicago Cubs and starter Frankie Montas and reliever Lou Trivino from the Oakland Athletics for four prospects.
Effross, a sidearming right-hander, is 1-4 with a 2.66 ERA and one save in 47 games this year. He made his big league debut last season, going 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 14 appearances with Chicago. Effross is particularly tough on right-handed batters, holding them to a .159 batting average this year.
The rebuilding Cubs received minor league right-hander Hayden Wesneski in the deal. The 24-year-old Wesneski, a sixth-round selection in the 2019 amateur draft, is 6-7 with a 3.51 ERA in 19 starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
New York sent Oakland 26-year-old rookie left-hander J.P. Sears along with three minor leaguers: 24-year-old left-hander Ken Waldichuk, 23-year-old right-hander Luis Medina and 22-year-old infielder Cooper Bowman.
Earlier in the day, the Yankees got Scott Effross, a 22-year-old rookie reliever, from the Chicago Cubs for Hayden Wesneski, a 24-year-old minor league right-hander.
Montas, a 29-year-old right-hander, is 4-9 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts, including a 2.76 ERA since the start of May. He has 109 strikeouts and 28 walks in 104 2/3 innings.
He was the second significant starting pitcher dealt ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline after Cincinnati sent Luis Castillo to Seattle.
Montas has a $5,025,000 salary this year, is eligible for arbitration this winter and can become a free agent after the 2023 season. His fastball averages 96 mph.
Trivino, a 30-year-old right-hander, is 1-6 with a 6.47 ERA — double his 2021 figure — and 10 saves in 13 chances. Right-handed batters are hitting .289 against him this year while lefties are hitting .392 with nine walks in 60 plate appearances.
He has a $3 million salary, is eligible for arbitration ahead of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, then can become a free agent.
The AL East-leading Yankees host the Seattle Mariners on Monday night. The MLB trade deadline is Tuesday, Aug. 2.