Mark Leiter Jr. was traded from the Chicago Cubs to...

Mark Leiter Jr. was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Yankees on July 30, 2024. Credit: Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA — Jazz Chisholm, Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos will have to be enough.

Whether they are, of course, is the question for the Yankees over the final two months of the regular season.

Chisholm, for one, has been a difference-maker three games into his Yankees career, homering twice in each of the last two games, including a three-run homer in the seventh Tuesday night to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead in what became a 7-6 victory in 12 innings.

Despite general manager Brian Cashman attempting to make a big roster splash before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline, those three players — a dynamic utility man and two relievers with strikeout stuff — were what the Yankees had to show for his efforts.

“We have all the ingredients in there to get it done,” Aaron Boone said after his club’s fourth straight victory, the postgame clubhouse music booming through his office wall as he spoke. “We have a long way to go, but that opportunity to have a special team is there for us.”

The inability to pull off a major deal was, multiple rival executives and scouts said, in large part because of the Yankees’ reticence to part with top prospects Spencer Jones, Jasson Dominguez and George Lombard Jr., coupled with other top teams that had similar deadline needs having far deeper farm systems.

“If you take out those three, there really isn’t much in that system to pull off [a big trade],” said one NL scout assigned to the Yankees’ system, echoing what generally is an industry-wide belief. “For minor or midlevel [deals], sure, but there’s just a lot more to choose from elsewhere. It was easy to move on from what they were willing to give up. Especially in this marketplace with so much competition for top guys.”

And so the Yankees, who it should be pointed out are hardly destitute when it comes to their big-league club — which has the third-best record in the American League (64-45) and trails the Orioles by a half-game in the AL East — will ride the rest of way more or less with what they have.

Including the aforementioned additions, each of whom did address a need.

Desperate for some swing-and-miss in their bullpen, the Yankees on Tuesday acquired exactly that, getting righthander Leiter from the Cubs for infield prospect Ben Cowles and pitching prospect Jack Neely.

“They will miss neither one of those guys,” an AL scout assigned to the Yankees system said of the prospects given up to nab Leiter.

Leiter flew in from Cincinnati late Tuesday afternoon and arrived in the clubhouse shortly after the game started and was thrown into the fire in the 10th and escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam, throwing to a catcher, Austin Wells, he met during the game.

“We got it done, that’s all the matters,” Leiter said.

Just before the 6 p.m. deadline, the Yankees acquired De Los Santos, along with minor-league righthander Thomas Balboni Jr., for outfield prospect Brandon Lockridge. He could join the club in time for Wednesday’s game.

The 33-year-old Leiter, the son of former Yankee Mark Leiter Sr. and nephew of former Yankee and Met Al Leiter, posted a 4.21 ERA in 39 games with the Cubs. But he does have 53 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings.

“Doesn’t win a ring [for them] but solid addition,” another rival NL scout said of Leiter. “Should help stabilize some things for them [in the bullpen].”

De Los Santos, 28, had an unimpressive 4.46 ERA in 44 games with the Padres, though he recorded 48 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings.

While the deals for Leiter and De Los Santos should help the bullpen, neither trade was the kind of big move considered a difference-maker when it comes to making the Yankees a World Series favorite. Though early results have been promising — both at the plate and two games into his professional career as a third baseman — neither would the acquisition of Chisholm.

Leiter is not seen as a lockdown bullpen arm, something the Yankees were seeking, nor is De Los Santos.

Before the deadline, the Yankees checked in regularly on the starting pitcher market, as well as the market for corner infielders because of concerns about Chisholm and rookie first baseman Ben Rice learning those positions at the big-league level on the fly.

The club made one other deal Tuesday, sending disappointing lefthander Caleb Ferguson to the Astros for righty pitching prospect Kelly Austin and international signing bonus pool money ($750,000).

---

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 5 months

ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME