Luke Voit is reportedly on the move, as Audacy MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that the first baseman is being traded to the Padres. The Yankees confirmed the news shortly after.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Thursday that San Diego had interest in Voit after losing out on Freddie Freeman to the division rival Dodgers, and with the Yankees signing Anthony Rizzo this week, Voit became expendable.
The Yanks will receive pitcher Justin Lange in return, a 20-year-old righty and former first-round pick. Lange, the Padres' eighth-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, has only pitched in the Arizona Complex League after the 2020 minor league season was wiped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He allowed 17 earned runs in 22 innings.
Voit's Yankee tenure started with incredible promise after being acquired via trade with the Cardinals in 2018, but injuries quickly got in the way. A core injury in June of 2019 derailed his season, and he battled foot problems through the shortened 2020 season, though he still led the league in home runs. In 2021, he landed on the IL four different times.
Voit hit .271 with an .883 OPS over four seasons in New York.