The New York Yankees traded for Austin Slater at the trade deadline. They gave up their No. 18 prospect at the time, Gage Ziehl.

Slater is now on the injured list with a hamstring strain. With an injury that could sideline him for multiple weeks, potentially ending his regular season, the move is shaping up to be a failure for the Yankees. FanSided’s Joseph Kallan predicted he would be off the roster by the start of next month.

“Slater never truly got his opportunity to shine given the Yankees’ already crowded outfield, making just one start before pinch-hitting in two games,” wrote Kallan. “He was originally scouted as someone who could perform well against left-handed pitchers and had the versatility to play all three outfield positions. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury expected to keep him out for 4–6 weeks has effectively ended his 2025 regular season.”

The Yankees already had too many mouths to feed. However, Slater figured to be a player the team could use against left-handed pitching. Instead, he will wait on the injured list and potentially never get to make a real impact.

Adding Slater was a slightly puzzling move as is. Trading a top-20 prospect for a bench bat was essentially what the Yankees did. Obviously, the Yankees could not have predicted Slater’s injury. However, at the end of the day, they traded a prospect for an expiring contract who might never make any sort of impact.

Releasing Slater would be a fitting move considering how the Yankees’ season has gone. The team expected him to contribute, but now he is just taking away a roster spot from someone who actually could.

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