Yankees Get: Todd Frazier (16 HR, 44 RBI, .207 AVG, 4 SB, 103 wRC+, Age 31)
David Robertson (4-2, 2.70 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 13 SV, 47/11 K/BB, Age 32)
Tommy Kahnle (1-3, 2.50 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 60/7 K/BB, Age 27)
White Sox Get: Tyler Clippard (1-5, 4.95 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 42/19 K/BB, Age 32)
Blake Rutherford (2 HR, 30 RBI, .281 AVG, 9 SB, 112 wRC+ at Class A, Age 20)
Ian Clarkin (4-5, 2.62 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 58/25 K/BB at High Class A, Age 22)
Tito Polo (5 HR, 37 RBI, .307 AVG, 27 SB, 138 wRC+ at High Class A and AA, Age 22)
The Yankees offense has been performing on all cylinders behind guys like Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Starlin Castro, and Gary Sanchez, but with some guys slumping a bit, they needed to inject some firepower into the lineup to ensure a postseason run. They got that in the powerful bat of Todd Frazier, a New Jersey native who clubbed 40 home runs a year ago. Though his batting average is just over .200, we know today that batting average is not a great way to evaluate a player, and his overall slash line comes out to a pretty solid .207/.328/.432, good for above-league-average production at a 103 wRC+. He should get regular playing time at third base, as well as possibly at first base. He won't be the star of his new lineup, but Frazier will provide enough power to act as protection for the Yankees' young stars. He'll be a free agent at the end of the season, so this is just a rental. For his career, Frazier has 164 home runs and a .247/.318/.461 line over 873 games. David Robertson pitched for the Yankees from 2008-2014, replacing Mariano Rivera as the Yankees' closer in 2014 with pretty good results (3.08 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 96/23 K/BB). He has been inconsistent with the White Sox, but his 2.70 ERA this year is his lowest in his four years as a closer, and he'll add to a strong bullpen that already includes Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances, though both have underperformed somewhat this year. Robertson is under contract through 2018, and the Yankees will have to pay him about $18 million for the year and a half. For his career, Robertson has a 2.95 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a 732/222 strikeout to walk ratio, and if you care about saves, he has 131 of those in 555 appearances. Lastly, Tommy Kahnle has been better than you might think. Over 37 appearances this year for the White Sox, the 27 year old righty quietly put up a 2.50 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and a remarkable 60/7 strikeout to walk ratio over 36 innings, striking out 42.6% of the batters he faced. That's pretty ridiculous. With three years of arbitration ahead of him, Kahnle is controllable through 2020, and he's an underrated get in this deal. For his career, he has a 3.68 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a 189/86 strikeout to walk ratio over 157 appearances.
After losing the two biggest pieces in their bullpen, the rebuilding White Sox wanted to make sure they at least didn't have a Nationals-esque bullpen, because not even a rebuilding team should be blowing leads every night. Tyler Clippard will be shipped west to Chicago, where he will look to rectify what has been the worst season of his career. Through 40 appearances so far, the 32 year old has a 4.95 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP, both of which are his highest in his nine years as a reliever. As recently as last year, he put together a 2.49 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 29 appearances after his trade to the Yankees, so he could easily bounce back with this trade, and he'll likely serve as Chicago's closer. He'll be a free agent after the season, but the White Sox have so many prospects coming up that they probably don't care all that much. For his career, Clippard is 47-40 with a 3.06 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, and a 726/275 strikeout to walk ratio over 598 games (8 starts). Blake Rutherford is the most exciting piece in this deal for the White Sox, as he was the Yankees' first round pick (18th overall) last year and has hit well since signing. Over 71 games for Class A Charleston this year, he slashed .281/.342/.391 with a pair of home runs despite just turning 20 in May. The advertised power wasn't quite there, but he's also a year out of high school playing in full season ball, so we shouldn't be too worried about that yet. He did have 20 doubles and a pair of triples to go along with those two home runs in 71 games, so he has shown some power that could mature into over-the-fence power as he fills out. Most importantly, he has a real chance to be an impact bat for the ChiSox down the road, though he's still a few years off and needs to show more game power. Ian Clarkin was the Yankees' comp round pick (33rd overall) back in 2013, missed all of 2015 with elbow issues and is a bit behind in his development, but he seems to have found his groove at High Class A Tampa this year. Over 15 games (14 starts) while repeating the level, he is 4-5 with a 2.62 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP, striking out 58 and walking 25 in 75.2 innings. The numbers are good, but they aren't great (especially given the pitcher-friendly environment of the Florida State League), and while he could still be a #3 or #4 starter at some point, he may fall back on the bullpen eventually. He turned 22 in February. Tito Polo is perhaps most well known for starring on Team Colombia at the World Baseball Classic this year, and it seems like he used the event as a springboard for this year. Beginning at High Class A Tampa, he slashed .289/.346/.434 with four home runs over 60 games in that pitchers' environment, earning a promotion to AA Trenton. There, he has caught fire in 14 games, slashing .382/.460/.545 with his fifth home run of the season. Showcasing his plus speed, he has added 27 stolen bases this year, giving him 157 over his minor league career. He probably won't hit enough to be a starter, but he could be a valuable role player as a Willy Taveras type guy.
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