The Yankees may have landed an important cog to their rotation in a trade that didn't cost them too much.
Tallion was the second overall pick in the 2010 draft, and won 14 games with the Pirates in 2018, before injuries set him back the past two years.
Tallion missed the entire 2020 season, recovering from Tommy John's Surgery.
Tallion pitched in only seven games in 2019, pitching to a 2-3 record with a 4.10 ERA.
Scouting reports on Tallion describe a pitcher whose four-seam fastball tops 98 mph, and a two-seamer that hits 96 mph. This is a young man, still 29, who was selected ahead of familiar names like Manny Machado, Matt Harvey, Chris Sale, and Christian Yelich back in 2010 by the Pirates. Obviously it hasn't worked out too well.
To get Tallion, the Yankees gave up prospect pitchers Miguel Yajure, Roansy Contreras, infielder Maikol Escotto, and outfielder Canaan Smith. While it is a gamble to take on a guy like Tallion, it is a better deal than the Luis Castillo deal that the Yankees potentially had in place with the Cincinnati Reds that would have cost them Gleyber Torres. Here the Yankees gave up very little.
Tallion joins a rotation full of question marks. Outside of Gerrit Cole, there are questions about newcomer Cory Kluber returning from injury; questions about Luis Severino coming back from Tommy Johns' Surgery, and Domingo German coming back from suspension.
If Tallion, Severino and Kluber return to form then the Yankees would have a formidable rotation, but there are a lot of "Ifs." The Yankees could continue to add starting pitching in free agency as spring training approaches. But they definitely need as much pitching as possible.
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