Yankees acquire Frazier, Robertson, Kahnle from White Sox in 7-player deal
As the clock struck midnight in New York on Wednesday, the Yankees pulled off a blockbuster deal and the Chicago White Sox strengthened an already magnificent prospect pool.
Following hours of speculation, the Yankees officially acquired Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle from the White Sox in exchange for Tyler Clippard and prospects Blake Rutherford, Ian Clarkin, and Tito Polo.
"We made the determination that bundling these three players together was the best way to maximize our return on any transaction," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said after the trade was made official, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.
"We felt this trade with the Yankees brought back the most quality as opposed to spreading our assets across multiple deals."
Trade rumors began to swirl when Frazier was scratched from Tuesday's lineup, though there was early speculation that the third baseman was involved in a deal with Boston, a club that showed steady interest in the veteran.
Instead, the Yankees swooped in to steal a player the Red Sox coveted, and added two solid pieces to a bullpen in need of support.
The trade reunites Robertson with New York, as the closer spent seven years in pinstripes before joining the White Sox as a free agent in 2015. He'll earn $13 million next season before becoming a free agent in 2019. He's performed to a 2.70 ERA this season with 13 saves and 47 strikeouts.
Kahnle, a Yankees draft pick from 2010, was Chicago's most efficient and surprisingly valuable reliever this season. In 37 games, he's racked up an impressive 60 strikeouts, placing him fourth in the league among qualified relievers with a K/9 rate of 15. The 27-year-old is under team control until 2021.
The reliever headed the other way, Clippard - a free agent at season's end - has combined to a 4.95 ERA in 40 games this year.
As for the prospects headed to the White Sox, Blake Rutherford is ranked by MLB as the club's third-best prospect and No. 30 among the top 100, Clarkin was a first-round pick in 2013 and is ranked the Yankees' No. 19 prospect, and Polo, a 22-year-old outfielder, is hitting .307/.369/.455 combined across stints with the Yankees' Single-A and Double-A affiliates.
Following the club's flurry of moves dating back to the offseason, the White Sox now have 10 prospects ranked among MLB Pipeline's top 100.