HOUSTON, TX: The New York Yankees announced yesterday that they have acquired right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker and international signing bonus money from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later.
Brubaker is in the middle of his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which was performed on April 12, 2023. He is still currently on the 60-day IL and is targeting the All-Star break as a potential return date. Brubaker resumed throwing from a sloped mound earlier this month and is targeting the All-Star break for a return to the Majors, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
Brubaker, a University of Akron product selected by the Pirates in the sixth round of the 2015 MLB Draft, has made 63 appearances in Major League Baseball (61 starts) between 2020 and 2022, amassing a 9-28 record with a 4.99 ERA.
After making 28 starts with Pittsburgh in 2022, Brubaker finished 3-12 with a 4.69 ERA. That season also marked career highs for innings pitched (144), strikeouts (147), and starts.
Brubaker is more of an under the radar move for the Yankees. For a club who is already over the $300 million luxury tax threshold, the Yankees were reluctant about adding pitchers such as Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.
The Yankees and Pirates are familiar in the trade market with each other and they once again hit on yet another trade. Brubaker has potential to be a valuable piece for the Yankees down the stretch, depending on what kind of return he will see.