Yankees trade a dream for Austin Slater as he…
Aaron Boone didn’t waste any time getting Austin Slater concerned.
The Yankees’ new addition — acquired Wednesday from the White Sox forward of the MLB trade deadline — was immediately in the lineup for Thursday’s collection finale against the Rays in The Bronx.
He began in proper discipline and batted seventh.
“As a kid,” Slater mentioned before the sport, “you always dream about playing for the Yankees.”
The Yankees despatched pitching prospect Gage Ziehl to Chicago as half of the deal.
Slater, a right-handed batter, thrives against left-handed pitching and as a pinch-hitter. He entered Thursday with an .859 OPS against lefties this 12 months.
Austin Slater in the Yankees dugout after arriving to city following a trade with the White Sox on July 30, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
And his eight pinch-hit home runs since 2017 are tied for essentially the most in MLB over that span.
That’s the function he is anticipating in Pinstripes.
“That’s been my career arc over the last five years, it’s something I’ve been used to,” Slater mentioned. “Get prepared for pinch-hits, prepare when there’s a lefty starter on the mound.
“It’s something [hitting lefties] that I’ve always been able to do going all the way back to the minors. Then over the last couple of years, I’ve seen mostly just lefties, that helps too. When you haven’t seen a righty in a couple of weeks, it looks a little different.”
Slater’s Yankees debut got here against a righty, though, in Rays starter Ryan Pepiot.
“Pepiot is a guy that’s been really tough on lefties this year,” Boone mentioned. “With [Trent Grisham], after a long game last night, a day game, just [the hamstring injury] he’s been dealing with, just want to be mindful of that, especially as we head into two series where we’re gonna be on turf. Hopefully Slater can give us a little spark in there and contribute to what’s going on.”
Austin Slater in the Yankees dugout on July 30, 2025. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Austin Slater in motion with the White Sox. AP
Slater was largely anticipating to be moved forward of the deadline. Now, he rapidly goes from a bottom-feeding facet in the White Sox to a playoff contender in the Yankees.
“I came in and watched that game [Wednesday] night, it was incredible,” Slater mentioned. “For me, that’s a big reason why I play this game, what motivates me, to work harder, to get better, is to play in those types of moments. A huge boost for me.”
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