The New York Yankees secured the services of right-handed pitcher Jameson Taillon in exchange for a four-prospect package headlined by Miguel Yajure and Roansy Contreras. Outfielder Canaan Smith and infielder Maikel Escoto will also go to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Taillon, 29, will be a significant upgrade for a Yankees’ rotation that had lost Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, and James Paxton via free agency. He is a cancer survivor and a two-time Tommy John surgery patient, but he is healthy now and can be a solid mid-rotation stalwart for the Bombers as long as health is on his side.
A low-key contributor for Taillon’s arrival to the Bronx was the Yankees’ ace, and his friend, Gerrit Cole. The two talented hurlers were together in the Pirates organization for years and developed a friendship. Now, Cole and his wife Amy both celebrated via Instagram the fact that the Yankees will welcome Jameson Taillon for at least two seasons.
The Yankees’ got a positive recommendation from Cole
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman confirmed that Cole, indeed, played a role in Taillon going to the Yankees. “Hear Gerrit Cole gave a very positive recommendation to the Yankees regarding his former teammate Jameson Taillon,” he tweeted.
Reporter Adam Berry revealed some of the details about the conversation Cole and Taillon had. “I told Gerrit, ‘Dude, I want to run it back with you now. I’m at a different place in my life. You’re at a different place in your life. We never got that full chance to do it together.’ We now have that chance,” Berry wrote.
Taillon has a career ERA of 3.67, with a 3.55 FIP in 466 innings. He has been severely hit by injuries, but is now ready to help the Yankees by sliding in the middle of their rotation, one that now has Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Corey Kluber, Domingo German, Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Severino once he is healthy.