The Yankees have traded infielder Keiner Delgado to the Pirates as the undisclosed player in the JT Brubaker trade that took place last month, according to announcements from both teams. Delgado, who wasn’t part of the Yankees’ 40-man roster, won’t need to join the Pirates’ roster.
In the previous trade, the Pirates sent pitcher JT Brubaker and international bonus pool space to the Yankees for a player to be named later. Brubaker hasn’t played for the Yankees yet due to recovering from Tommy John surgery and being on the 60-day injured list.
Delgado, a 20-year-old infielder from Venezuela, signed with the Yankees as an international amateur in 2021. He began his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2022, appearing in 52 games and accumulating 238 plate appearances. Delgado impressed with his exceptional plate discipline, boasting a 24.4% walk rate and a low 11.8% strikeout rate. While he hit only three home runs, his slash line of .310/.504/.506 resulted in a wRC+ of 178, and he also stole 34 bases.
During the previous year, Delgado moved up to the Complex League, where he had 239 plate appearances. His performance remained strong, maintaining a higher walk rate (15.1%) than strikeout rate (13%) while hitting eight home runs. He ended the season with a .293/.414/.485 line and 36 stolen bases, showcasing his offensive and baserunning capabilities. Defensively, Delgado has experience at second base, third base, and shortstop.
Heading into 2024, Delgado was ranked as the #22 prospect in the Yankees’ system by Baseball America, #20 by MLB Pipeline, and #22 by FanGraphs. Keith Law of The Athletic was particularly bullish on Delgado, ranking him as high as #7 a few months ago. Law praised Delgado’s switch-hitting ability and suggested that he might have a chance to remain at shortstop, although other evaluators believe he’s more likely to end up at second base or in a utility role.
Delgado will now become part of the Pirates’ system, where he will be a long-term project due to his young age and lack of experience in full-season ball. He will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft after the 2025 season, according to FanGraphs.
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