Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Trade Luis Cessa, Justin Wilson to Reds; What it Means Ahead of Deadline

The New York Yankees traded relievers Luis Cessa and Justin Wilson to the Cincinnati Reds, a sign that more moves are on the way ahead of the Trade Deadline

Max Goodman

ST. PETERSBURG — The Trade Deadline is fast approaching and the Yankees are making changes to their bullpen. 

New York dealt right-hander Luis Cessa and left-hander Justin Wilson to the Cincinnati Reds late Tuesday night in exchange for a player to be named later.

The trade was announced not too long after New York closed out a series-opening victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field, leaning heavily on their 'pen in a close game over the final few innings. 

Interestingly enough, Cessa and Wilson have been involved in a trade together before. The Yankees traded Wilson to the Detroit Tigers in the winter leading up to the 2016 season. In return, New York added Cessa and right-hander Chad Green, two hurlers that have been a constant presence in the Bombers' pitching staff ever since. 

Over six years with the Yankees, making his MLB debut in 2016, Cessa has posted a 4.17 ERA in 292 innings. Early on, the right-hander was making some starts, going through ups and downs as he began to develop at the big-league level. Once he was moved to the bullpen full-time in 2019, however, Cessa has blossomed in his role as a versatile reliever.

In the last two years alone, Cessa has pitched to the tune of a 3.00 ERA in 45 games, striking out 48 batters. In that span, he's made 13 appearances of two-plus innings in relief. 

Wilson, on the other hand, has been a disappointment in his second tour with the Yankees. The southpaw was signed this offseason to bolster the bullpen, but injuries and inconsistencies have turned him into more of a headache than a contributor.

The southpaw has permitted 15 earned runs to score in 18 innings this season (7.50 ERA), missing time due to two separate stints on the 10-day injured list.  

This time of the year is hard to predict when it comes to transactions, but odds are Tuesday night's move is a precursor to something else before Friday's Deadline. 

Trading these two relievers suddenly allows New York to open a pair of spots on the 40-man roster (possibly foreshadowing another move) while shedding some salary. Wilson is making $2.85 million this year—with a player option worth $2.3 million next season—while Cessa is due just over $1 million. Those financial implications give the Yankees a little more flexibility as they hover close to the luxury tax threshold. 

Plus, acquiring Pirates reliever Clay Holmes earlier in the week provides the bullpen with another controllable right-handed reliever, filling in for Cessa going forward. 

Surely more moves are on the way after this latest deal. The question is, how big will those trades be?

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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