Betances still 'trying to get over' Yankees' deadline trades

At the beginning of the season, the New York Yankees possessed arguably one of the most dangerous back ends of a bullpen in the history of baseball, employing Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, and Aroldis Chapman.

That all ended Sunday, however, when the Yankees - less than a week after trading Chapman to the Chicago Cubs - dealt Miller to the Cleveland Indians, officially breaking up the band in the process.

"I'm still trying to get over the fact that we traded the best of the best," Betances told reporters, according to ESPN's Wallace Matthews.

The trade of Miller was a hard one for Betances, as the pair had become close friends during their tenure in the Bronx.

"I was very surprised," Betances explained of Miller's trade. "It's a tough pill to swallow. We lost a true leader and a good friend for me. Somebody that we all kind of lean on, and he helped us the last couple of years. You could say he's been the best relief pitcher in baseball, and that's tough for me. It's tough seeing one of your good friends go."

With Chapman and Miller out of the picture, Betances becomes the Yankees closer, and despite feeling emotional about the loss of his bullpen buddies, he's excited for the opportunity to finish games.

"I know obviously it's a different role, but for me, I've just got to go out there and believe in my stuff, trust my stuff and try to get the job done," he said. "That's what my mindset's going to be. Obviously if I have any questions, I'll talk to (Miller). I did it a little bit last year, so that kind of helps."

Betances has been one of the most dominating relievers in baseball since becoming a fixture in the Yankees' bullpen in 2014. He owns a career ERA of 1.94 and a 14.2 strikeout-per-nine-innings rate.