The pitching pipeline from Pittsburgh to New York remains alive. On Friday, the Pirates traded right-hander JT Brubaker and international bonus pool money to the Yankees for a player to be named later, the team announced. Brubaker underwent Tommy John surgery last April and is expected to return around this year's All-Star season.
Brubaker, 30, was Pittsburgh's Opening Day starter in 2022. His career totals include a 4.99 ERA in 315 2/3 innings pitched in the major leagues, including a 4.69 ERA in 144 innings in 2022, his last healthy season. When healthy, Brubaker throws a mid-90s sinker and a high-spin slider, two pitches the Yankees have focused on in recent years as they strengthened their pitching staff.
This is the fifth trade between the Pirates and Yankees since January 2021, and the third involving a major leaguer. All three involved pitchers being sent to New York. His other two are:
Taillon gave the Yankees two solid seasons before leaving as a free agent, and Holmes has emerged as one of the game's top relievers since the trade. The six players the Pirates acquired in these two trades have a combined WAR of -1.5 at the MLB level. Only Contreras, Escott and Smith-Njiba remain in Pittsburgh.
Additionally, the Yankees also have former Pirates relief pitchers Nick Vardy, Yerry de los Santos and Duane Underwood Jr. on the team. Burdi was named to New York's opening day roster. For some reason, the Yankees and Pirates have had a lot of overlap on their pitching staffs over the past few seasons.
Brubaker is owed $2.275 million this year and will remain under team control as an arbitration-eligible player in 2025. He also has two minor league options remaining, meaning the Yankees can send him to Triple-A in 2024 and 2025 without putting him on waivers. This gives him some flexibility on the roster as he returns from elbow surgery.
International Bonus Pool funds must be traded in increments of $250,000. The Pirates' bonus pool this year was $7,114,800.was the largest amount in the game, but the Yankees had the smallest amount at $4,652,200. New York state has until December 15 of this year to spend the money it receives from trade. They're probably already arranging an autograph session.
The Yankees and Pirates both won their opening games on Thursday. New York came back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Houston Astros, and the Pirates defeated the Miami Marlins in 12 innings.
