Yankees and Rockies Swap Minor Leaguers Prior To Roster Deadline

In addition to protecting Joe Harvey before Tuesday’s deadline for teams to set their rosters in advance of next month’s Rule 5 Draft, the Yankees made a small deal with Rockies. The teams exchanged minor leaguers who would have been eligible for the Rule 5, but neither found a spot on a 40-man roster.

ROCKIES ACQUIRE

Jordan Foley, RHP
Age: 25

The Yankees drafted Foley twice—once out of his Texas high school and again three years later after he’d completed three seasons at Central Michigan. He worked as a starter for the early portion of his minor league career before shifting to the bullpen starting in 2016. He works with a low-90s fastball and backs it up with a mid-80s slider that resembles a curveball because of its soft break. He throws from a high-slot, max-effort delivery, and he will need to cut his walks to be effective.

2018 MLB Trade Central

MLB trade tracker for the 2018 offseason.

YANKEES ACQUIRE

Jefry Valdez, RHP
Age: 23

Valdez signed with the Rockies as a 19-year-old and has spent the entirety of his career at the half-season levels, including a 2018 season spent with short-season Boise. He averaged 10 strikeouts per nine innings in the Northwest League. He accomplished that with a three-pitch arsenal fronted by a fastball that averaged 93 mph but played down due to lack of command and life. He backed it up with an above-average slider and fringe-average changeup. He controls his offspeed offerings better than he does his fastball.