Yankees acquire Pirates’ Jameson Taillon for four-prospect package

The New York Yankees have traded for Jameson Taillon, giving four prospects to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

When the San Diego Padres dealt for Pittsburgh Pirates upside play Joe Musgrove last week, we derided the five-for-one deal that ensued, claiming Brian Cashman and the Yankees never would’ve pursued such a “selling in bulk” strategy.

Less than a week later, the team has reportedly traded four prospects for fellow Bucco Jameson Taillon, who’s currently rehabbing from his second career Tommy John surgery.

We endorse it, but we’re a little surprised.

The heavily-rumored deal which bubbled out of the ether on Saturday night was finally consummated on Sunday afternoon, and involved a hefty price to pay for an unproven commodity — but only numerically. All things considered, no Yankees fan can really complain about the prospect cost here, highlighted by Miguel Yajure, a changeup specialist who debuted in the Bronx in 2020.

Per MLB Pipeline, Yajure is the headliner, ranking 15th in the team’s top 30. Roansy Contreras is an upside play who ranks 19th on the same list, and those two are…the only two 40-man roster members included in the deal.

That means the Yankees will need to clear one more space, at minimum, to accommodate Taillon, Corey Kluber, and DJ LeMahieu.

New York’s 40-man, prior to this deal, included seven low-level players who were protected out of Rule 5 Draft nerves or pedigree, and there are many more to come next offseason, which will only make the crunch worse.

Early rumors that indicated the Pirates were eyeing a young catcher did not, apparently, come to fruition, nor did the idea that the Yankees would try to attach a bat (Adam Frazier, Colin Moran) or a reliever (Richard Rodriguez) to a larger deal.

Per reports, Taillon has emerged from TJS rehab still throwing 95 miles per hour with an elevated spin rate from the last time he appeared on a big league mound. Even excepting the “Gerrit Cole’s friend” storyline, there’s a lot to like here, and very little was surrendered.

Don’t be shocked if he only throws 120-130 innings, however, and the team relies plenty on its stockpile of young depth in the early going.

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