The New York Yankees announced today that they have acquired RHP Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Roansy Contreras, INF Maikol Escotto, OF Canaan Smith and RHP Miguel Yajure.

Taillon, 29, last pitched in 2019, going 2-3 with a 4.10 ERA (37.1IP, 17ER) and 30K in seven starts for Pittsburgh before being placed on the injured list at the beginning of May with a right elbow flexor tendon strain. On August 13, 2019, he underwent flexor tendon repair surgery and “Tommy John” surgery.

The Lakeland, Fla., native has made 82 starts over four Major League seasons with the Pirates (2016-19), going 29-24 with a 3.67 ERA (466.0IP, 464H, 202R/190ER, 117BB, 419K, 48HR). According to FanGraphs, among National Leaguers with at least 450.0IP since 2016, he ranks ninth with a 1.66 ground ball to fly ball ratio, 10th with a 32.7 outside the zone swing percentage, 11th with a 48.2% ground ball rate and 14th with a 19.5% soft contact rate.

During the 2018 season, Taillon posted career bests in wins (14), innings pitched (191.0), strikeouts (179) and ERA (3.20). That season, he ranked ninth in the NL in ERA, tied for ninth in wins and ranked 11th in innings pitched, while leading all Pirates pitchers in starts (32), innings pitched and strikeouts. Among NL pitchers with at least 185.0IP, he ranked seventh with an 8.43 K/9.0IP ratio. He held opponents to 3ER-or-fewer in each of his final 22 starts of the season, one of two NL pitchers with as long a streak that year (Jacob deGrom, 29 straight).

Taillon was originally selected by Pittsburgh out of The Woodlands (Tex.) High School in the first round (second overall) of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

Contreras, 21, owns a 16-11 record with a 3.25 ERA (249.1IP, 90ER) over three minor league seasons (2017-19). The Yamasá, D.R., native did not pitch in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster on November 20, 2020. The right-handed pitcher was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2016.

Escotto, 18, made his professional debut in 2019 and batted .315/.429/.552 (57-for-181) with 47R, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 8HR, 26RBI, 32BB and 13SB in 45 games with the DSL Yankees. The right-handed hitter did not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Boca Chica, D.R., native was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2018.

Smith, 21, has hit .280 (221-for-788) with 109R, 50 doubles, 4 triples, 19HR, 118RBI, 139BB and 21SB over three minor league seasons (2017-19). The left-handed batter did not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dallas, Tex., native was originally drafted by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft.

Yajure, 22, saw his first Major League action in 2020, posting a 1.29 ERA (7.0IP, 1ER) in three relief appearances over three stints (8/20-31, 9/4-5 and 9/25-26) with the Yankees. In four minor league seasons (2015-16, ’18-19), the right-handed pitcher has gone 14-13 with a 2.47 ERA (291.2IP, 80ER) in 61 games (54 starts). The Cabimas, Venezuela, native was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on March 5, 2015.