Former Hoosier Scott Effross Traded to Yankees in World Series Push

Former Indiana pitcher Scott Effross was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees on Monday. Effross joins a Yankees squad that has the most wins in the baseball at 69-34, and is a World Series favorite.

USA Today

Scott Effross is in the midst of his best season as professional pitcher, and now he'll have the chance to contribute to a team making a push for the World Series.

On Monday, Effross was traded from the Chicago Cubs (41-60) to the New York Yankees (69-34). Effross holds a 2.66 earned run average across 44 innings with 50 strikeouts and 11 walks. 

At 28 years old, he won't become a free agent until 2028, and he isn't eligible for arbitration until 2025. Effross joins a Yankees bullpen that ranks second in the MLB with a 2.91 ERA.

New @Yankees reliever Scott Effross has some nasty stuff. 👀 pic.twitter.com/WpyQy1ApTi

— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2022

In return, the Cubs receive right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski, who was the Yankees No. 7 prospect. Wesneski has a 6-7 record in 19 starts with a 3.51 ERA and 83 strikeouts across 89.2 innings for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Wesneski is now the Cubs' No. 8 overall prospect and the No. 3 pitching prospect behind Caleb Kilian and Jordan Wicks.

Effross was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 15th round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of Indiana. As a freshman on Indiana's 2013 College World Series team, Effross posted a 2.44 ERA in 62.2 innings out of the bullpen. His dominance at Indiana continued in 2014, posting a 1.98 ERA in 54.2 innings.

Indiana named Effross the Opening Day starter for the 2015 season, and he allowed just one run in six innings against No. 18 Stanford to begin the year. As a junior, he made seven starts and 14 relief appearances with a 2.35 ERA. 

Effross worked his way through the Cubs' minor league system, posting a 3.91 ERA in 340.1 innings across six seasons. A late-bloomer, he debuted in the MLB in his age-27 season on Aug. 29, 2021 against the Chicago White Sox, allowing two earned runs in 0.2 innings. Effross would find his groove down the stretch, finishing his first pro season with a 3.68 ERA in 14.2 innings.

He used this momentum to become one of the Cubs' most reliable bullpen arms in 2022. He hasn't allowed a run in his last seven appearances dating back to July 9, and he has the third-lowest ERA on the Cubs behind David Roberson and Mychal Givens.

The MLB trade deadline passes at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Related stories on Indiana baseball:

• SCHWARBER, EFFROSS HAVING BIG SEASONS IN MLB: Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies and Scott Effross of the Chicago Cubs are the two former Indiana Hoosiers in the MLB right now, and the 2013 College World Series teammates have carved out important roles on their respective teams. CLICK HERE
• SCHWARBER NAMED NL ALL-STAR: Indiana baseball's former first team All-American Kyle Schwarber will play in the MLB All-Star game for the second consecutive season. The Philadelphia Phillies' left fielder has belted 28 home runs in 84 games in 2022 to lead the National League. Schwarber is two home runs shy of New York Yankees' All-Star Aaron Judge for most in the MLB. CLICK HERE
• THREE HOOSIERS TAKEN IN MLB DRAFT: Three Indiana baseball pitchers were taken in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft, beginning with right hander Jack Perkins, who was a fifth-round pick by the Oakland Athletics. On day two of the draft, the Baltimore Orioles selected a pair of Hoosier pitchers with Bradley Brehmer in the 12th round and Reese Sharp in the 20th round. CLICK HERE