The New York Yankees acquired right-handed starting pitcher Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, the Yankees announced.
Here are the details of the trade:
The New York Yankees have acquired RHP Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Roansy Contreras, INF Maikol Escotto, OF Canaan Smith and RHP Miguel Yajure.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) January 24, 2021
All four of the players going to Pittsburgh are minor league prospects.
Taillon spent five years with the Pirates, but he missed all of 2020 due to Tommy John surgery. Out of the four years he actually pitched, his best season came 2018 when he tossed 191.0 innings and boasted a solid 3.20 ERA and 3.46 FIP. He struck out 179 batters that year.
The Yankees are trying to build up their rotation behind ace Gerrit Cole, who was a teammate of Taillon's for two seasons (2016, 2017) in Pittsburgh. New York recently signed two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. Like Taillon, Kluber is looking to bounce back from injuries.
It's unclear if free agent Masahiro Tanaka will be back with the Yankees, and veteran J.A. Happ just left for the Minnesota Twins. There are a number of other candidates vying for a spot in New York's rotation.
Article Continues BelowBesides Taillon and Kluber, the other candidates for the Yankees' rotation include left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who has appeared in just 12 games since his 2018 Tommy John surgery, youngsters Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt, former All-Star Luis Severino, who missed all of last season because of Tommy John surgery, and Domingo German, who also missed the entire 2020 season while serving a suspension under Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy.
Taillon should be good to go for the 2021 season. He's excited for this new opportunity:
Bittersweet day for me over here! Trying to process everything- have SO much to say to the city of Pittsburgh and my teammates. Also have SO much to say about this incredible opportunity and to the city/fans in New York. Thanks to everyone that has reached out! More to come soon
— Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon50) January 24, 2021
The Yankees went 33-27 last season to finish second place in the AL East. They beat the Cleveland Indians 2-0 in the AL Wild Card Series before losing 3-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series.
The Pirates are in rebuild mode. They finished 19-41 in 2020, which was the worst record in MLB.