The Yankees made a familiar move by acquiring a lesser-known pitcher from the Pittsburgh Pirates, aiming to bolster their starting rotation depth. General Manager Brian Cashman orchestrated the trade to bring JT Brubaker to New York, along with some international signing bonus money, in exchange for a player yet to be named.

The transaction was initially reported by Pirates beat writer Alex Stumpf and later confirmed by the Yankees. A significant factor affecting Brubaker’s value is his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in early April 2023. However, it’s anticipated that he’ll be ready to return to the mound around midseason.

Since Brubaker is already on the 60-day Injured List, no corresponding roster move is necessary for him to join the Yankees. Despite his underwhelming performance in the NL Central over the past few seasons, where he was a regular starter for the Pirates from 2020 to 2022, there are aspects that could spark interest, especially considering the modest cost of acquiring him and the potential for improvement.

One such aspect is his strikeout rate, which tends to stabilize quickly and provides insight into a pitcher’s potential production. Brubaker has not been known for high strikeout numbers, averaging a 23.3-percent strikeout rate, largely due to his reliance on sinker-heavy pitches. However, there were signs of progress before his injury, notably during spring training in 2023 when he recorded 15 strikeouts in just 8 innings pitched. While this doesn’t guarantee a permanent change in his performance, it suggests that Brubaker was actively working on improving his game during that time.

As detailed by Michael Ajeto in his coverage for Baseball Prospectus, Brubaker had been honing his changeup, increasing its usage and reaping benefits, especially as he managed to differentiate it more from his sinker. Additionally, he was striving to incorporate more sweeping action into his curveball, a tactic that has been successful for the Yankees in recent years.

Considering Brubaker’s willingness to adapt and the potential for the Yankees to further refine his pitching arsenal, particularly focusing on optimizing a sweeper pitch that aligns better with his profile than his previous curveball, the acquisition becomes even more compelling. This move represents a low-risk opportunity with promising upside, especially when considering the potential need for pitching depth behind the rotation, both for the current season and beyond in 2024.