Pirates Trade JT Brubaker to Yankees

The Pittsburgh Pirates have traded right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker to the New York Yankees in exchange for a player to be named later. The Pirates are also sending international bonus pool money to New York.

Brubaker is currently on the 60-day injured list as he recovers from last year’s Tommy John surgery. He’s expected back sometime around midseason.

The Pirates originally drafted Brubaker in the sixth round of the 2015 draft out of the University of Akron.

After spending five seasons in the minor leagues, the right-hander made his major-league debut with the Pirates during the 2020 season. Brubaker became a staple in the Pirates’ rotation from 2021-22. He combined for 52 starts and 268.1 innings pitched between the two seasons.

Brubaker again looked primed for a rotation spot for the 2023 season before getting injured late in spring training.

In three big-league seasons with the Pirates, Brubaker went 9-28 with a 4.99 ERA. In 315.2 innings pitched, he’s struck out 324 batters and walked 109.

Brubaker seemed destined to provide the Pirates with starting pitching depth once healthy, but instead will join a new organization for the first time in his career.

It’s the second self-inflicted hit to the Pirates’ starting pitching depth in the last two days. On Thursday, the Pirates designated left-hander Jackson Wolf for assignment.

Other depth options not currently on the active roster for the Pittsburgh Pirates include Quinn Priester, Eric Lauer, Domingo Germán, prized prospect Paul Skenes and a handful of others.