[ad_1]
Not long ago, the Pirates were hoping Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon would bring a championship to Pittsburgh. Now the two right-hangers will team up and try to bring a championship to the Bronx. The Yankees acquired Taillon in a five-man trade on Sunday, the teams said.
“It’s moving for me” Taillon told Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel. “I was the last man standing in this 2010 draft class. This organization has become a family. Super excited to go to the Yankees, but it’s still tough.
After sitting on the sidelines for much of the offseason, the Yankees have now made three big additions in January. New York re-signed DJ LeMahieu to a six-year, $ 90 million contract two weeks ago, and also added Corey Kluber on a one-year contract worth $ 11 million. Taillon joins Kluber in a rotation with plenty of questions behind Cole. The depth of rotation graph:
- RHP Gerrit Cole (amazing)
- RHP Luis Severino (expected to return from Tommy John surgery mid-season)
- RHP Corey Kluber (limited to 36 2/3 injury innings from 2019-20)
- RHP Jameson Taillon (hasn’t launched since May 2019)
- LHP Jordan Montgomery (5.11 ERA in 2020)
- RHP Domingo German (served a domestic violence suspension in 2020)
- RHP Deivi Garcia (probably on a workload limit in 2021)
- RHP Clarke Schmidt (probably on a workload limit in 2021)
There are a lot of risks in this rotation. There are also a lot of advantages. Kluber, Severino and Taillon have a healthy ace ability, and the Yankees have given themselves three apple bites. If all three remain healthy and contribute in 2021, so much the better. If two stay healthy, that’s fine too. And if just one remains healthy, they’ll take it. The Yankees now have three very interesting options.
Taillon, 29, is currently in rehab after his second career surgery with Tommy John and should be ready for opening day. In 2018, his last healthy season, Taillon pitched 191 innings with a 3.20 ERA and 3.89 K / BB. He faced hitters in mock games as part of his rehabilitation last September and recently started pitching paddock sessions as part of his preparation for 2021.
“I understand the people who have had two Tommy Johns and their history. There isn’t a huge success rate … But there isn’t a ton of data either,” Taillon told Mackey in September. “I feel legitimately healthier than I have ever felt in pro balling right now. So what if my problem is fixed, my mechanics are much better and now I’m actually supposed to be a starter?. “
Taillon fits the typical Yankees profile as a powerful pitcher with very good spin rates. He also has a good knowledge of analysis, and according to Buster Olney of ESPN, Cole “strongly endorsed” the trade and gave Taillon “solid reviews” when consulted by the Yankees. Cole and Taillon were teammates with the Pirates from 2016 to 2017 and also spent time together in the miners.
Before the trade, the Yankees had roughly $ 6 million wiggle room below the luxury tax threshold of $ 210 million. Taillon will make $ 2.25million in 2021, so he’s a good match for their payroll, although the Yankees will need to set some money aside for in-season orders and the trade deadline. Taillon will remain under the team’s control as a player eligible for arbitration in 2022.
The Pirates will receive four leads in the trade, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN: RHP Roansy Contreras, IF Maikol Escotto, OF Canaan Smith and RHP Miguel Yajure. MLB.com ranks Yajure, Contreras and Smith at No. 15, 19 and 21 respectively in the New York Agriculture System. Escotto is unranked but is considered a sleeper with considerable advantage.
Yajure, 22, is the only one of the four prospects with MLB experience. He allowed one inning in seven innings with the Yankees in 2020. Contreras, 21, pitched 132 1/3 innings with a 3.33 ERA in low-class A in 2019, while Smith, 21, hit .307 / .405 / .465 with 11 homers in 124 matches at the same level. Escotto, 18, hit .315 / .429 / .552 in the Dominican Summer League in 2019.
The Pirates have embarked on a full-scale rebuild under new CEO Ben Cherington. Since taking office last year, Cherington has traded Josh Bell, Starling Marte, Joe Musgrove and now Taillon. Pittsburgh also turned down Trevor Williams and turned down his club option for Chris Archer earlier this offseason. Adam Frazier, Colin Moran and Gregory Polanco could be next.
Taillon was selected with the second pick in the 2010 draft, sandwiched between Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. He had his first Tommy John surgery in 2014 and also underwent surgery to treat testicular cancer in 2017.
[ad_2]
Source link