Over the last week or so the Jameson Taillon trade rumors started to gain some traction and the deal was made official on Sunday afternoon. The Yankees add a quality arm to their rotation while the Pirates continue to stockpile prospects as they look towards the future.
Injuries and a battle with testicular cancer has limited his time on the mound but when Taillon was healthy enough to pitch he showed flashes of brilliance. His best season to date was his 2018 campaign in which he made 32 starts with a 3.20 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 23 K%. Taillon is one of the few arms that misses bats and also has a near 50% ground ball rate. Unfortunately his follow up season lasted just 37 innings before an elbow injury that required his second Tommy John, and he missed the abbreviated 2020 season as a result. The Pirates had two years of team control remaining on Taillon, but sent him to the Yankees in exchange for four prospects.
The Pirates will receive RHP Roansy Contreras, OF Canaan Smith, RHP Miguel Yajure and SS Maikol Escotto in return for their ace. Here is the breakdown of the new Pirates prospects.
Roansy Contreras- RHP
Physical Description: Smaller stature, listed at six feet even with a thin wiry frame. Dynamic mover on the mound with natural athleticism. Minimal maintenance concerns and Contreras already showed his durability tossing 132.1 innings with Charleston in 2019 as a 19-year-old.
Mechanics: Starts full operation with rocker step to a high leg lift that closes off his front hip and adds a split section of deception. He then drops and drives with a shorter stride to the plate before delivery from a high three-quarters slot. Due to his height and ability to get low, he has a relatively low release despite his high three-quarters arm action.
Fastball: Several characteristics of a plus pitch. Average velocity is 93.6 mph, touching 96-97 at peak. He has above-average spin in the 2450-2500 rpm range, and it’s efficient as well generating above-average vertical break. He spots the pitch well high in the zone and to both sides of the plate. He struggles to create a downward plane due to his release height, but Contreras knows this and deploys an upper quadrant plan of attack. Already shows flashes of above-average fastball command with stuff to match. Grade: 60
Curveball: A few outlets only list a slider, and to naked eye, it looks as though he simply manipulates his slider for more depth. By looking at the Trackman data it’s clear it’s a different pitch. Sitting in a similar velocity band, but showing more depth and horizontal movement to the slider. Making the pitch more of a sweeping curveball. Advanced feel with the ability to consistently land the pitch for strikes. The sweeper is Contreras’ go-to out pitch versus right-handers and the best secondary in his arsenal. Grade: 50
Slider: Slower slider at 78-80 mph, true gyro slider spin with very little vertical or horizontal movement. As Contreras does with all of his pitches he shows strong feel, commanding it well and staying out of danger. A few miles per hour added to his average velocity would allow it to play better. A slower slider with gyro spin movement is unlikely to play against upper-level competition. Grade: 45
Changeup: Unique pitch, higher spin changeup but lacks the screwball movement you typically see. Doesn’t do a great job of killing lift but it will get above-average run. Contreras’ feel for the pitch improved throughout the season to the point that while not a weapon was an effective secondary versus lefthanders. At times will lose handle and look like a soft fastball at 85-87 MPH. Grade: 45
Command and Control: Advanced strike-thrower who’s strike-throwing took a big jump in 2019. Lands his fastball to the upper quadrants and shows feel for all of his secondaries. With the ability to manipulate break on all of them. Lives in and around the zone and rarely walks batters. It’s above-average control with average command. Control: 55 Command: 50
Overall: An advanced strike-thrower whose stuff has continued to tick up. There’s legitimate rotation upside, as Contreras has three secondaries with fringe-average or better projection, a plus fastball, and advanced feel for his arsenal. Despite his size, he’s shown the ability to handle a starter’s workload, and his stuff actually ticked up as the season wore on. None of Contreras’ secondaries are above average as they lack the velocity to miss bats, but they drive weak contact and he lands them for strikes. Strong overall starter’s profile, even if it’s a back end starter. Already on 40 man roster with a chance to debut in 2021 as a spot starter or multi-inning reliever.
OFP: 50 Role: 50
Outcome: #4 or #5 Backend SP
Canaan Smith- OF
Physical Description: Average height but physical presence due to size of his frame. Reverse projection came to fruition as Smith dropped weight heading into 2019, and turned a soft body into a strong frame. Improved level of fitness overall in 2019, but the body will require maintenance.
Hit: One of the best hitters in the Yankees system, Smith combines a strong approach, above-average or better quality of contact, and average bat to ball skills. Heads up, a cerebral hitter with the ability to adjust in at-bat. At the plate, he sets up slightly open to the pitcher, almost square stance with his front foot slightly offset, and a deep bend in his knees that makes his setup appear squatty. Hands set above back shoulder, with little pre-pitch hand movement. Utilizes exaggerated leg lift triggers that closes off his front side before load. Quiet hands in load, clean swing, with a good angle at contact. Fluid lower half though he likely doesn’t get as much drive as he should. Struggles in left-on-left matchups, his approach backs up and he struggles to replicate the hard contact he makes versus right-handers. The split issues bring down the Smith a half grade. Improvements against lefties and the ability to translate his 2019 performance at the upper-levels are paramount to the development of this tool. Grade: 50
Power: Violent bat speed, with strong contact skills combine for plus raw power and above-average in-game pop. Has not fully materialized batting practice raw power to in-game. Makes lots of opposite-field contact, and hard struck liners at the expense of deep flyballs. Doesn’t need to sell out for power due to his natural strength. This leads us to believe Smith’s power will not fully materialize for a few years. Grade: 55
Field: Smith is a left-field only profile with enough speed to cover an adequate amount of ground in a corner. It’s a below-average defensive profile, and Smith will struggle to nab routine plays leaving some questions around the hands. A young player who should sharpen these skills in time hopefully. Grade: 40
Arm: Below-average arm, adequate accuracy with limited carry and strength. You can hide it in left field but likely to be challenged by better runners. Grade: 40
Speed: Below-average run times, have improved slightly from poor. Likely to never be much more than a station to station runner. Stays above poor territory due to his ability to handle some real estate in left. Grade: 40
Overall: Smith showed overall improvement in all areas in 2019, and had the Yankees chosen to be aggressive he likely could have handled a few months of high-A. Will need to make improvements in his hitting versus left-handed pitching in order to avoid a left field only strong side platoon designation. Unfortunately despite his loud performance versus right-handers, this is where Smith sits now. Albeit at the higher end of this role designation. The lack of defensive skills put pressure on the bat to perform at a high level.
OFP: 45 Role: 40
Outcome: Below-Average Player: Bench or Platoon
Miguel Yajure- RHP
Physical Description: Small build for a pitcher at 6’1”, 175 pounds. Little projection remaining to his frame, mainly in the upper half of his body. Thick lower half. Had Tommy John surgery in 2017, regained the feel of his arsenal rather quickly. Made MLB debut in 2020.
Mechanics: Yajure throws from the first base side of the rubber with a high three-quarters arm slot and a moderate leg kick to trigger his operation. Relatively clean arm action and uses lower half well in delivery. Repeats delivery well with little to no effort. Release heights just above six feet.
Fastball: Prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017, Yajure’s velocity was in the 86-90 MPH range. Post-surgery, he has seen an uptick in velocity, sitting primarily in the low-90’s, and has touched 94-95 MPH on occasion. However, the pitch is rather pedestrian, thanks to subpar movement overall. He does get good spin, with an average just below 2,400 RPM’s, but he only gets five inches of horizontal movement and 14 inches of vertical break on the pitch, both below league average. Yajure’s advanced command is what helps the pitch play, particularly up in the zone. There is a chance he can add more velocity to the pitch, as he has reportedly touched 97 MPH in the past, but for the time being, it’s an average offering. Grade: 50
Cutter: Newer pitch to his arsenal, the cutter has certainly become a weapon for Yajure. The pitch has tight spin and action, with spin rates reaching as high as 2,550 RPM’s on average. Yajure lets the pitch run away from the righties and runs it in on lefties, though he does have an issue with commanding the pitch at times. Grade: 55
Curveball: Yajure’s curveball tunnels well with the fastball, with 12-to-6 movement, and is thrown for strikes. The pitch certainly has spin to it, with spin rates averaging 2,700+ RPM’s, and is thrown in the high-70’s to low-80’s. Had a tendency to hang the pitch up in the zone in 2020. Pitch has good depth, but it’s only an average pitch. Grade: 50
Changeup: Yajure’s primary secondary pitch. The pitch is thrown hard, sitting in the high-80’s and touching 91 at times, nearly the same as the cutter and fastball. However, the pitch is within the optimal spin band for change-ups, with an average of 1,625 RPM’s. It’s a firmer offering, with nearly eight inches of horizontal run, but little vertical break to it. It plays well off the fastball and Yajure has a good feel for the pitch, keeping it down in the zone as well. Grade: 55
Command and Control: What helps Yajure’s arsenal play up is how well he controls the baseball. Throughout his career, Yajure has had above-average control, with no more than 30 walks in a season since he signed with the Yankees. However, in 2020, the control/command did struggle in the majors, walking five in seven innings. Likely could use some refinement, but overall, these are amongst his biggest assets as a prospect. Control: 55 Command: 50
Overall: Yajure has a relatively high floor despite the underwhelming arsenal he possesses. While there is a legitimate chance that he can be a backend starter, he’s going to need to prove that he can miss more bats and limit more weak contact to earn the role. Being a spot starter and a long relief arm is the most likely option at the present time.
OFP: 45 Role: 40
Outcome: Spot starter or Long reliever
Maikol Escotto- SS/2B
Physical Description: Escotto possesses an athletic 5’11’’, 180 frame that sees him fit the billing for the modern-day second base position. He is relatively slim, which limits his current ability to generate maximum power at the plate for his frame; this is likely to change, as the Yankees do a fantastic job of developing players’ bodies in their minor league system. He has a lot of growing into his body to do at age 19, so there will be a lot of physical changes over the next couple of years.
Hit: Escotto’s hit tool is one that I am relatively concerned about due to the long nature of his swing. Before he brings his hands forward, Escotto drops them vertically, seeing them loop around into the hitting zone. What this action does, outside of flattening his swing out, is take more time. Successful hitters with flat swings (Bregman, Ozuna, Arozarena) all set their bat angles early to prevent this issue. As a result, Escotto may struggle with high ride fastballs (what a flat swing is designed to hit), along with the standard curveball issues that come with his swing archetype. Outside of those problems, Escotto does a solid job of getting his hands to the baseball, and still should be able to produce at a relatively average rate. If he were to correct the load to swing issue, he could eventually play up to a 50. Grade: 45
Power: Escotto does a very good job of getting the power generated from his swing into the baseball, specifically via the creation of elite separation. This power coming from the upper half is key to his success as a whole in driving the baseball, as he does not generate enough power from his lower half to play remotely elite. His stride is very short, “squishes the bug” rather than driving off of his backside, and without much of a load, he relies on the separation and upper body strength in order to generate force moving into the baseball. As he gets stronger, and the player development team works with him, he could produce slightly plus in the power department at Yankee Stadium (small ballpark). Grade: 50
Field: Escotto positions himself very well at the shortstop position, though the overall glove skills still need some development. Despite staying low and level to remain on the ball, he can occasionally lose a few during the process of seeing the ball into the glove. He orients his body very well heading into throws, though his overall average speed and fast-twitch may limit his range. These issues would not be as prominent at the second base position, which is his likely destination based on how his defensive currently tools play at age 19 Grade: 50
Arm: The reason that Escotto is still a shortstop is his plus plus arm. Capable of utilizing multiple slots (ideal), he is capable of generating plus velocity due to the way in which he loads his arm up (similar position to catchers, and his elite scap retraction. If he makes a transition to second base his arm could play elite for the position. Grade: 60
Speed: Escotto is an overall average runner. He shows signs of plus speed, though, with the expected addition of musculature, it will likely dip back down into the 45 range as he develops. Grade: 50
Overall: Overall, Escotto is an athletic middle infielder with plus potential. It is very difficult to evaluate a 19-year-old on where their body and corresponding skills will be in a couple of years. If the holes in the swing are patched up, he could be a fantastic foil in a launch angle optimized lineup, that is catered towards taking out the current popular archetype (think Arozarena’s role on the Rays). In order to reach this, however, he needs to start setting his bat angle early in order to generate flush (95mph EV + 10-30 deg LA) on elevated high ride fastballs. On his current track, he is probably a fringe/average starter with plus potential if developed properly.
OFP: 40 Role: 40
Outcome: Below-Average Player: Bench or Platoon