New York Yankees interested in outfielder Austin Slater

The post New York Yankees interested in outfielder Austin Slater appeared first on Sox On 35th.

While most eyes are currently on Luis Robert Jr., another White Sox outfielder is drawing attention.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, right fielder Austin Slater has gotten interest from the Yankees ahead of the deadline. It’s believed that New York is targeting right-handed hitting outfielders to help in the absence of Aaron Judge, with Minnesota’s Harrison Bader among the other names rumored to be in the mix.

The Yankees continue to work on adding bullpen help, according to rival evaluators, and they have talked with other teams about right-handed hitting outfielders. Former Yankee Harrison Bader is among those discussed, as well as White Sox outfielder Austin Slater.
The Yankees’…

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 28, 2025

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Slater, 32, is exactly who the White Sox thought they were getting when signing him to a one-year deal. In 131 plate appearances, he’s slashing .244/.308/.437 with a 106 wRC+ and .745 OPS this season. Slater also owns a more impressive .897 OPS in 74 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, which is likely where interest lies from most teams in need.

Originally drafted in the eighth round by the Giants in 2014, Slater had a breakthrough campaign during 2020 when he slashed .282/.408/.506 with a 150 wRC+ and 1.0 fWAR in 31 of the team’s 60 games. He would carry over this success from 2021 to 2023, hitting .257/.345/.412 with 24 homers, 86 RBI, 113 wRC+, and 3.4 bWAR in 343 games.

The 2024 season was a different story as Slater split time between the Giants, Reds, and Orioles. Between the trio of teams, he hit a combined .209/.321/.266 with a 76 wRC+ and -0.1 fWAR in 212 plate appearances. Albeit on the smaller end, the 33-game sample size during his second half with Baltimore featured a .246/.342/.333 slash with a 102 wRC+ and 0.5 bWAR in 79 plate appearances, similar numbers to what he’s posted in 2025.

For any teams looking for outfield rentals, Slater is one of the more inexpensive options on the market. He has only around $580K remaining on his $1.75M salary for 2025, which will surely lead to additional interest beyond just the Yankees. As the stove starts to heat up, we will see just how many teams check in with Chris Getz and Co. Regardless, fans should temper their expectations as he likely won’t draw a notable return on his own.

Featured Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The post New York Yankees interested in outfielder Austin Slater appeared first on Sox On 35th.