Yankees bolster outfield, acquire veteran Austin Slater from the White Sox

CHICAGO (AP) — Austin Slater is heading to the New York Yankees.

The Yankees acquired the veteran outfielder from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in exchange for minor league pitching prospect Gage Ziehl.

The Yankees have a pressing need to bolster their outfield ranks with star Aaron Judge out indefinitely while dealing with a flexor strain in his right elbow.

The 32-year-old Slater hit .236 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in 51 games with the White Sox this season. The well-traveled Slater can play all three outfield positions. He spent the first seven-plus seasons of his career with San Francisco before being traded to Cincinnati last summer. New York will be Slater’s fifth team in just over a year.

The Yankees will assume $564,516 of Slater’s remaining $1.75 million salary, which also will increase their luxury tax by about $621,000.

The trade is the latest in what has been a busy run-up to Thursday’s deadline by New York. The Yankees acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from Colorado and infielder Amed Rosario from Washington over the last week.

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