The New York Yankees have completed a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, acquiring left-handed pitcher Clayton Andrews in exchange for minor league right-hander Joshua Quezada. This deal was officially announced on Wednesday. In addition, the Yankees have placed right-handed pitcher Scott Effross on the 60-day injured list as he continues his recovery from back surgery that was recently disclosed. Andrews had been designated for assignment by the Brewers last week.
Andrews, 27, made his debut in the major leagues with the Brewers in 2023, but unfortunately, his performance fell short of expectations. During his brief appearance, he pitched only 3 1/3 innings and gave up ten earned runs, including three home runs.
However, Andrews had much more promising results in the minor leagues. He spent the majority of the 2023 season playing for the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate team in Nashville. During this time, he achieved an impressive 2.53 ERA in 57 innings pitched out of the bullpen. Andrews also exhibited a strong strikeout rate of 31.1% and a solid ground ball rate of 45.7%. However, his walk rate of 13% was a concern that will need improvement if he wishes to establish himself in the major leagues.
Selected by the Brewers in the 17th round of the 2018 draft, Andrews still has two option years remaining in the minor leagues. This provides the Yankees with valuable bullpen depth and flexibility. Andrews is a left-handed pitcher with a repertoire of three pitches, including a fastball that averaged 94.8 mph in 2023. He also utilizes a changeup and a slider. Andrews’ changeup is considered his most effective pitch, which explains his success against right-handed hitters, who only managed a .215/.312/.349 slash line against him. Left-handed hitters, on the other hand, had more success with a .233/.337/.438 slash line.
On the Brewers’ side of the trade, they will receive 19-year-old right-handed pitcher Joshua Quezada, who is entering his second season as a professional. Quezada, originally from Nicaragua, was signed by the Yankees during last year’s international amateur free agency period. He spent the previous season playing for the Yankees’ short-season affiliate in the Dominican Summer League. In 46 1/3 innings pitched, Quezada recorded a 3.69 ERA. He struck out 25% of the batters he faced and had a walk rate of 9.4%. While Quezada was not considered one of the Yankees’ top prospects and did not rank among their top 30, he had a promising debut season and will provide the Brewers with a young pitcher to develop in the lower levels of their farm system.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com