Pirates Release Last Player From Jameson Taillon Trade

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates landed a haul of prospects for right-handed starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, but all of them are now gone from the franchise.

The Altoona Curve, the Double-A affiliate of the Pirates, released shortstop Maikol Escotto on Aug. 5, who was the last player from the Taillon trade.

The Pirates traded Taillon to the New York Yankees on Jan. 24, 2021 for right-handed pitching prospects in Roansy Contreras and Miguel Yajure, outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba and Escotto.

Escotto was the only one of those players who didn't play for the Pirates at the MLB level, spending these last four seasons in the minor leagues.

He spent the 2021 season with Single-A Bradenton, the 2022 season with Bradenton, the Florida Complex League Pirates and High-A Greensboro, both the 2023 and 2024 seasons with Greensboro and then after 38 games with Greensboro in 2025, moved up to Altoona.

Escotto had success with Greensboro this season, slashing .319/.370/.525 for an OPS .895, with 45 hits, nine doubles, one triple, six home runs, 20 RBIs and 18 stolen bases on 22 attempts.

The 23-year old didn't replicate that performance with Altoona, batting .135/.211/.198 for an OPS of .409 in 40 games, with 17 hits in 126 at-bats, two doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs, nine walks to 29 strikeouts and three steals on five attempts.

Escotto finishes his time with the Pirates with a slash line of .220/.286/.355 for an OPS of .641 in 393 games, with 299 hits, 54 doubles, six triples, 39 home runs, 169 RBIs, 128 walks to 433 strikeouts and 72 stolen bases on 99 attempts.

He was the last member of that trade, with none of the three other players in the organization past the 2024 season.

Contreras came up to the Pirates in 2022 and pitched for three seasons, before the Pirates designated him for assignment on May 11, 2024, bringing up right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes.

He finished with a 1.0 WAR in Pittsburgh, a 9-12 record in 53 appearances and 30 starts, a 4.83 ERA over 182.2 innings pitched, 161 strikeouts to 80 walks and a 1.42 WHIP.

Contreras pitched for the Los Angeles Angels after they claimed him off of waivers and is currently with the Baltimore Orioles at Triple-A Norfolk.

Yajure spent time between Pittsburgh and Indianapolis during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, before the Pirates designated him for assignment after the 2022 season.

He finished with a -1.4 WAR in Pittsburgh, with four starts in 16 games, an 8.69 ERA over 39.1 innings pitched, 27 strikeouts to 23 walks and a 1.82 WHIP.

Yajure spent the 2023 season in the San Francisco Giants minor league system and is in his second season pitching in Japan in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Smith-Njigba played in just 18 games for the Pirates, three in 2022 and 15 in 2023, but never found sustained success in Pittsburgh. He spent time at Indianapolis in 2024 before electing free agency and landing with the Chicago White Sox on a minor league deal on Aug. 7.

He is currently not playing professional baseball, having elected free agency after the 2024 season.

The Pirates took Taillon with the second overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, but Taillon didn't make it to the MLB until 2016, after missing most of 2014 after Tommy John surgery and all of 2015 with hernia surgery.

Taillon pitched four seasons for the Pirates from 2016-19 and didn't pitch in 2020, after undergoing surgery to repair a flexor tendon and UCL revision.

He finished his time in Pittsburgh with a 29-24 record in 82 starts, a 3.67 ERA over 466.0 innings pitched, 419 strikeouts to 117 walks and a 1.25 WHIP.

This was the fourth big trade under general manager Ben Cherington, with Starling Marte going to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Jan. 27, 2020, Josh Bell sent to the Washington Nationals on Dec. 24, 2020 and Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres on Jan. 19, 2021.