Padres acquire Luke Voit from Yankees

PEORIA, Ariz. – The San Diego Padres have acquired first baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit from the New York Yankees in exchange for right-handed pitcher Justin Lange, President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller announced today. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club placed right-hander Michel Baez on the 60-day Injured List.

Voit, 31, is a career .267 (297-for-1112) hitter with 47 doubles, 73 home runs, 203 RBI and 187 runs scored in 351 games played. The 6-3, 255-pound right-handed hitter has slashed .305/.404/.578 with 16 doubles, 18 home runs, 132 RBI and 39 walks with runners in scoring position, and has a .405 (17-for-42) average with three doubles, one home run and 38 RBI with the bases loaded. He was the Major League home run leader with 22 long balls in 2020, becoming the eighth Yankee (18th time) to lead the Majors in home runs (outright or tied), while finishing ninth in American League MVP voting. He was originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 22nd round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Missouri State University, and was acquired by the Yankees along with international signing bonus pool money from the Cardinals on July 29, 2018 in exchange for left-hander Chasen Shreve and right-hander Giovanny Gallegos.

In 68 games with the Yankees last season, Voit hit .239 (51-for-213) with seven doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 35 RBI and 26 runs scored. Five of his 11 home runs came in the eighth inning or later, and he batted in every spot in the starting lineup except eighth or ninth. He made 42 appearances at first base and 13 as the designated hitter.