The Pittsburgh Pirates today dealt away right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon to the New York Yankees for four prospects: Right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras, infielder Maikol Escotto, outfielder Canaan Smith and right-handed pitcher Miguel Yajure.
In four seasons with the Pirates, Taillon went 29-24 in those games with a 3.67 ERA and 8.1 strikeouts per nine. His best season came in 2018, when Taillon went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA in 32 starts (191 innings) while totaling 179 strikeouts. He did not pitch in 2020, still recovering from a second Tommy John surgery.
From the Pirates Web site, here is a breakdown on who the Pirates are receiving for Taillon:
The 21-year-old Contreras was ranked by Baseball America as New York’s eighth-best prospect following the 2019 season after leading both the Yankees minor league system and South Atlantic League in wins (12). Contreras also finished the 2019 season fifth among South Atlantic League pitchers in ERA (3.33), first in WHIP (1.07) and second in batting average against (.215). The 6’0’’ righthander was listed by Baseball America as the top Dominican pitching prospect for the 2016 international signing period when he was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2016.
The 18-year-old Escotto was signed by New York as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2018. During his first professional season in 2019, he ranked eighth among all Dominican Summer League hitters with a .981 OPS. He ended the 2019 campaign hitting .315 (57-for-181) with 11 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 26 RBI, .429 on-base percentage and .552 slugging percentage in 45 games.
The 21-year-old Smith is currently rated by Baseball America as the “Best Hitter for Average” and as having the “Best Strike Zone Discipline” in the Yankees minor league system entering the 2021 season. He was tabbed a Baseball America Low Class-A All-Star and South Atlantic League post-season All-Star in 2019 after spending the entire season with Charleston. The left-handed hitting Smith hit .307 (138-for-449) with 32 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 74 RBI, .405 on-base percentage, .465 slugging percentage and .871 OPS in 124 games with the RiverDogs in 2019. He was also tabbed by Baseball America as the South Atlantic League’s “Best Batting Prospect” and “Most Exciting Player” for his efforts with Charleston. Smith has a compiled a .280 batting average (221-for-788) with 50 doubles, four triples, 19 home runs and 118 RBI in 226 games since selected by New York in the fourth round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft.
Yajure posted a 1.29 ERA (7.0ip/1er) and eight strikeouts in three relief appearances over three separate stints with the Yankees while making his Major League debut in 2020. The 22-year-old Yajure led all of minor league baseball in ERA (minimum 125.0ip) in 2019 after going 9-6 with a 2.14 ERA (138.2ip/33er) between Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton. He was recognized by Baseball America as having the “Best Control” among all Yankees minor leaguers following the 2019 season and is currently ranked by the same publication as the Yankees seventh-best prospect.
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