The Pittsburgh Pirates have completed the trade that sent right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker to the New York Yankees.
The player to be named later heading back to the Pirates is infield prospect Keiner Delgado, who was ranked as the Yankees’ No. 20 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
Delgado was signed by the Yankees as an international amateur free agent in 2021 out of Venezuela. He received a $100,000 signing bonus.
The 20-year-old began his professional career in the Dominican Summer League and spent the 2023 season in the Florida Complex League.
Between the two levels, Delgado has performed well. In 102 career games, the switch-hitter carries a .301/.459/.495 with 28 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs, 59 RBIs and a whopping 70 stolen bases in 85 attempts.
He’s shown elite plate discipline with a 19.7% walk rate to begin his career and a very respectable 12.4% strikeout rate.
Delgado stands 5-foot-7 so he’s projected to have limited power as he ascends the minor-league ranks. He does, however, have a natural feel for hitting and is an above-average runner.
Defensively, Delgado projects to be a capable defender at second base, though he’s split time in the field between second and shortstop with a couple appearances at third base.
The Pirates traded Brubaker to the Yankees back on Mar. 29. The right-hander is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery but expects to return at some point midseason.
In three years with the Pirates, the 30-year-old went 9-28 with a 4.99 ERA in 63 appearances/61 starts. The Pirates originally drafted Brubaker out of the University of Akron in 2015.
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