The New York Yankees have had a shaky starting pitching lineup since the start of the 2024 season. On top of that, the ace pitcher of the NY side is still unavailable owing to a right elbow inflammation. In the absence of Gerrit Cole, things could have been worse for Aaron Boone’s side. But they have handled it well so far. Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman, and Carlos Rodon have played their part well in the first month of the 2024 regular season. On top of that, the Bronx Bombers are also missing the services of their veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu.
The oldest member of the 40-man Yankees roster fractured his right foot during spring training. However, recent reports suggest both Cole and LeMahieu have been progressing well. Aaron Boone should expect to see them back in the rotation sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, the NY side tried to bolster their starting pitching lineup by acquiring JT Brubaker from the Pittsburgh Pirates. On Tuesday, they traded Keiner Delgado to the Pirates in exchange for JT.
Yankees Trade Top Prospect To Confirm The Deal For Their New Starter
According to the latest announcement of the New York Yankees, they have traded the infielder Keiner Delgado, their No. 20 prospect, to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In that trade deal, they have acquired JT Brubaker, the right-handed starting pitcher. The two teams finalized the deal on Tuesday. Moreover, the Bronx Bombers made this intriguing trade deal earlier this month. However, on Tuesday, they completely finalized it. But with this deal, the NY side does not just acquire the starting pitcher. Adding to that, they also receive international signing bonus money worth $500,000 from the Pirates. In 2021, the Yankees had signed Delgado for a bonus money worth $100,000. Later, the 20-year-old Delgado was doing well in the minor league.
The infielder hit eight home runs with .293, 31 RBIs, and got 36 stolen bases in the previous season for the Florida Complex League Yankees. Delgado has been an All-Star in the minor league for two seasons straight. He also shot up pretty quickly through the farm system rankings of the Yankees. As a result, he became the No. 20 prospect of the NY side. On the other hand, JT Brubaker was the opening-day starting pitcher of the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2022. He could not play in the 2023 season because he had Tommy John surgery in April of that year. At present, the righty pitcher is still recovering from that surgery. Anyway, this trade was profitable for the NY side due to the international signing bonus pool allotment.
This Trade Might Help Both Players As Well As The NY Side
The Yankees have a lot of infielders. Hence, it might be best for Delgado to find his place at the Pirates. Perhaps he will have more opportunities to play in the big league with the Pittsburgh side. He has been a top prospect for the Yankees in the minor league. But on the other hand, JT Brubaker has been an experienced campaigner. He debuted in MLB back in 2020.
So far, he has played in 63 games in three seasons, all for the Pirates. Of those 63 games, he started in 61. Moreover, Brubaker posted a 4.99 ERA, 324 strikeouts, and 109 walks after pitching 315 2/3 innings. Clearly, he will give the Yankees a lot more depth in their starting pitching lineup.
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