Just when the 2021 NY Yankees needed to find roster space to finalize the Corey Kluber and DJ LeMahieu signings, the Yankees pull the trigger on a deal for RHP Jameson Taillon.
While Taillon is not the ace that Luis Castillo is, he provides a ton of value for the Yankees. At $2.25 million, the Yankees still have wiggle room to acquire a reliever or a platoon bat. They didn’t give up much to get Jameson Taillon, but the Pirates also get players who can help them as they rebuild.
Bolstering the 2021 NY Yankees Pitching Depth
The 2021 NY Yankees will now have a rotation with:
Gerrit Cole
Corey Kluber
Jameson Taillon
Jordan Montgomery
Domingo German/Deivi Garcia
That rotation is one that can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the American League. I think you can make a pretty solid argument that they’re the best team in the AL, and I don’t think it’s close. They have an elite lineup and good pitching depth, with Garcia, German, and Schmidt being the #5-#7 starters for them.
That’s enough about the 2021 NY Yankees though, so what about the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Assembling a Good Farm System
The New York Yankees paid the price of RHP Miguel Yajure, RHP Roansy Contreras, OF Canaan Smith, and INF Maikel Escotto. While, yes, these aren’t incredible talents, they help provide depth, innings, and talent to an extremely young team. They’re going to be a threat in a few years with the way they’re able to rebuild.
They’ve acquired 14 new prospects, have some better player development, and now have direction. The Pirates are rebuilding, and it’s going to be one bright future for them soon. It’s not like the NL Central is any good, so this is a good road to go down.
Jameson Taillon: Talented Starter
The 2021 New York Yankees now have a starter with a ton of potential. From 2017-2019, he was one of the more underrated pitchers in the sport.
(2017-2019)
3.75 ERA
3.51 FIP
3.74 xFIP
4.01 SIERA
15.3% K-BB%
3.69 DRA
3.71 pCRA
3.81 xERA
Those are some very good numbers, and he’ll make a good #2 or #3 starter. If he’s able to work with Matt Blake and Gerrit Cole, they can now see Taillon reach his full potential. There’s a reason he was the second overall pick back in 2010. He is a risk, but the Yankees know what they’re doing with the health of these guys. These 2021 NY Yankees are even scarier now.
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