The Yankees were already set to get a boost to the lineup when Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge return, and now the lineup will be even more potent.
The Yankees have acquired Edwin Encarnacion in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, sources confirmed to SNY Insider Andy Martino Saturday night before the Yankees announced the deal early Sunday.
Martino has also noted that this move makes it easier for the Yankees to now trade Clint Frazier for a starting pitcher, and that the team has been looking at Trevor Bauer and Marcus Stroman.
The Yankees are sending minor league pitcher Juan Then to Seattle in exchange for the 36-year-old, who currently leads the American League with 21 home runs. He is hitting .241 on the season for the Mariners while driving in 49 runs. He's crushed 401 home runs during his impressive Major League career, earning All-Star honors three times.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Yankees and Mariners are essentially splitting the $15 million still owed to Encarnacion for the rest of this season.
At this point in his career, Encarnacion is primarily a designated hitter, though he can still play first base in a pinch.
The Mariners have struggled this season and had already started dealing veterans, sending Jay Bruce to the Philadelphia Phillies.