Yankees trade Hoy Park in extremely underwhelming deal with Pirates

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman got exactly what the team needed with just days to go before the MLB trade deadline.

That’s right … another reliever pushing a 5.00 ERA is coming to the Bronx! Your wishes of Nick Nelson, Brooks Kriske and/or Albert Abreu getting knocked off the roster are maybe about to come true!

What’ll upset fans even more, however, is the package that’s going to the Pittsburgh Pirates to make this deal official.

The Yankees have traded Hoy Park and Diego Castillo for right-handed reliever Clay Holmes.

That’s right! Not only did they hardly give Park a fair shake at the MLB level despite their deficiencies all over the roster coupled with the man’s stellar play at Triple-A Scranton/Wikes-Barre, he’s now been sent to one of the worst organizations in all of sports.

For a guy the Yankees will probably use to eat up less-than-worthwhile innings. That’s 2021 for ya!

The Yankees announced today that they have acquired RHP Clay Holmes from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for INF Diego Castillo and INF Hoy Park.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees returned replacement player C Rob Brantly to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 26, 2021

The Yankees traded Hoy Park to the Pirates for a fringe reliever.

Oh, did we forget to mention Castillo’s production in the minors? He’s been tearing up Double-A Somerset across 58 games, hitting .277 with an .850 OPS. The Yankees are deep both at the MLB level (when everyone’s healthy) and in their farm system at that position, but maybe better utilize the 23-year-old in a trade? That doesn’t feel like a hot take.

Pirates trade Clay Holmes to Yankees for infielders Hoy Jun Park and Diego Castillo.
Park leads Triple-A East League in batting (.327), OBP (.475) and OPS (1.042).
Castillo is batting .277 with 11 home runs and an .850 OPS at Double A.
— RobBiertempfel (@RobBiertempfel) July 26, 2021

As for Holmes, he owns a 4.93 ERA and 1.43 WHIP on the year. The good news? Of his 23 earned runs on the year, 14 of them came in three outings in which he was absolutely shelled. He’s also destroying right-handed batters in 2021 … but that’s what right-handed pitchers are generally supposed to do. OK, fine, he’s got good peripherals, too, if you’re into that.

The bad news? The three-batter minimum exists and no lineup in the entire league is as right-handed heavy as the Yankees … the only team he won’t be facing! He gets clobbered by lefties to the tune of a .295 average and .926 OPS! Wandy Peralta 2.0?

New #Yankees RHP Clay Holmes has a 1.33 ERA vs. righties this season: 27.0 IP, 17 H, 0 HR, .173 BAA
— Justin Shackil (@JustinShackil) July 26, 2021

We’re not sure how to explain this further. Yup, he’s controlled through 2025, but the Yankees can’t develop pitchers and this man has a career 5.57 ERA across 91 games.

All anyone can do at this point is pray a real acquisition will be on the way before Friday at 4 p.m. ET.

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The Yankees traded Hoy Park to the Pirates for a fringe reliever.

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