MLB trade grades: Yankees make a move at the buzzer, make deal with White Sox

The New York Yankees avoided being the only team to not make a trade at the deadline, acquiring relief pitcher Keynan Middleton from the Chicago White Sox.

The New York Yankees entered the trade deadline sitting last place in the AL East with a 55-51 record, as they lost the night prior in their series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees are still in contention for a postseason berth, just 3.5 games back for the last AL Wild Card spot. Yet, the play of the Yankees hasn’t exactly shown they are a move away from leaping the Wild Card standings. Would they opt to sell instead, even though their players wouldn’t exactly get a huge return?

For much of the trade deadline, the Yankees sat still, not making a move. That was until three minutes before the 6:00 p.m. ET cutoff time.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Yankees have acquired right-handed relief pitcher Keynan Middleton from the Chicago White Sox. As for who the Yankees are sending back, they are trading right handed-pitcher and No. 29 prospect in the farm system, Juan Carela, to the White Sox, per YES Network’s Joe LoGrippo.

MLB trade grades: Who won the Yankees-White Sox trade for Keynan Middleton?

Yankees trade grade: C-

The Yankees are a team that has flaws throughout the roster. They desperately needed an everyday starting left fielder. They needed a potent bat to add to their lineup, that is filled with a bunch of players that are hitting below .250. So what did the Yankees do?

They acquired a relief pitcher.

While yes, the bullpen has struggled recently, most notably with Ron Marinaccio and Tommy Kahnle, this move doesn’t exactly scream “game-changer.” Middleton is having a solid year with the White Sox. In 39 games, the 29-year-old recorded a 3.96 ERA, a 1.349 WHIP, 2 saves, 47 strikeouts, and 16 walks in 36.1 innings pitched.

Yankees brass has obviously decided that it is up to the players on the roster to turn things around. It’s not exactly a message that a frustrated fanbase will come to accept with open arms. Still, Middleton is a solid addition. Will it put the Yankees over the edge and catapult them up the standings? No.

White Sox trade grade: C-

The White Sox are in a position where they looked to get as much of a return as possible for players they were willing to trade away, especially those set to hit free agency this winter. For Middleton, they turned a minor league contract into the Yankees’ No. 29 overall prospect.

What are the White Sox getting in Carela? Here’s what MLB Pipeline has to say:

"“Carela employs two versions of a fastball, ranging from 90-96 mph with a sinking two-seamer and a riding four-seamer. He also has two sliders: a low-80s sweeper that the Yankees favor and a traditional slide piece with tighter break in the mid-80s. The sweeper has more upside than any of his pitches, though he falls in love with it too much.“Carela’s mid-80s changeup lags behind the rest of his pitches and could use more life and velocity separation from his fastball. One of the more athletic pitchers in the system, he has a clean arm action and should be able to locate his offerings better than he has. His ability to improve his control and command will determine whether he becomes a No. 4 starter vs. a slider-happy reliever.”"

This season, Carela recorded a 3.67 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, a 2-4 record, 109 strikeouts, and 32 walks in 83.1 innings (17 games).

Again, getting a top-30 prospect in an organization’s farm system for a player who was on a minor-league contract is good. But it’s unknown what Carela’s trajectory will be, as MLB Pipeline points out.