X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Jameson Taillon to the Yankees - Fantasy Impact

The New York Yankees traded for starting pitcher Jameson Taillon from the Pirates ahead of the 2021 MLB season. Michael Grennell examines the fantasy baseball value for Taillon at SP.

After bolstering their rotation with the signing of Corey Kluber last week, the New York Yankees acquired another starter over the weekend as they shipped off four prospects to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jameson Taillon. Here's how that deal broke down:

Yankees receive: RHP Jameson Taillon
Pirates receive: RHP Roansy Contreras, RHP Miguel Yajure, INF Maikol Escotto, OF Canaan Smith

The trade brings another starter coming off injury to New York, as Taillon will return to the mound after missing most of 2019 and all of 2020 due to Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, the Pirates continue to rebuild their farm system as they've now turned Taillon, Joe Musgrove and Josh Bell into 11 prospects — eight of which are already ranked in MLBPipeline's Top-30 list for Pittsburgh including two Top-10 prospects. Managers in dynasty leagues will want to take a look at the Pirates' haul in this deal, but for everyone else the main focus will be on how Taillon will do wearing pinstripes in 2021.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Taillon to the Bronx

After pitching his first full season in 2018, Taillon made just seven starts in 2019 before being shut down and eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. Over those seven starts, Taillon saw some of his numbers trending downward, including career-worsts in strikeout rate (19%) and hard-hit rate (39.8%), while his 12.9 percent home run per fly ball rate was the second-worst of his career.

But even in the midst of all that, there were some promising signs as well, and those positive trends could be in part due to an increased usage of his slider. With the jump from 18.1 percent usage in 2018 to 31.6 percent in 2019, Taillon posted career-bests with an 11.8 percent swinging-strike rate and a 76.6 percent contact rate. And when batters were making contact against him it was mostly turning into groundballs, as Taillon's 7.7 degree launch angle and 3.4 percent barrel rate were career-bests and his 49.6 percent groundball rate was his best mark since 2016.

The biggest challenge that Taillon will face in 2021 though is moving from the weaker NL Central to the tougher AL East. Pittsburgh's divisional opponents in 2020 combined for a 25.3 percent strikeout rate, .222 batting average and .388 slugging percentage, while Yankees' divisional opponents posted a 24 percent strikeout rate, a .254 average and .435 slugging percentage. While Taillon will be facing tougher competition in the AL East, he will get a slight boost in his potential value as he goes from having one of the worst offenses in MLB backing him to a Yankees offense that has ranked in the top-five in the league in scoring for four years straight. But the competition from within the division may end up canceling out some of that benefit from the Yankees lineup.

There is one more aspect of this trade that managers might want to consider. It's anecdotal and there are no statistics that can guarantee he will have success, but there has been somewhat of a trend in recent years of Pittsburgh starters benefitting from a change in scenery. Just take a look at Gerrit Cole and Tyler Glasnow's post-Pirates careers. Now in no way, shape or form does that mean managers should expect Taillon to turn into Cole 2.0, but in the later rounds in drafts it might be something to consider if you find yourself debating between picking Taillon or someone else.

 

Pittsburgh Investing in the Future

Once again we find ourselves looking at the newest infusion of young talent into the Pittsburgh organization. Yajure is the headlining player in this trade for the Pirates, as he now slots in at No. 14 in MLBPipeline's Top-30 prospect list for Pittsburgh after making his MLB debut in 2020. Over three appearances out of the bullpen with New York, Yajure posted a 27.6 percent strikeout rate and 1.29 ERA, but his 17.2 percent walk rate, 5.33 FIP, 5.41 xFIP and 4.87 SIERA weren't exactly great numbers to see. Granted, this comes in a small sample size of just seven innings, and he looked far better pitching between High-A and Double-A in 2019 where he posted a 23.9 percent strikeout rate and 5.4 percent walk rate with a 2.14 ERA and 2.56 FIP over 138.2 innings.

Yajure should be looked at primarily in dynasty leagues for right now, but according to a report from MLB.com writer Jake Crouse, Yajure could be potentially competing for a spot in the Pirates rotation early in the season. In that case, managers playing in 12-team and deeper leagues might want to consider Yajure as a potential late-round sleeper.

Contreras is a 21-year-old pitcher who has been used almost exclusively as a starter over his three-year career in the minors. He sports a career 3.25 ERA, 20.1 percent strikeout rate and 7.2 percent walk rate over 249.1 innings pitched, and there is some debate among scouts as to whether or not he'll remain a starter or end up in the bullpen. According to the story by Crouse, Contreras could also potentially see some time in Pittsburgh late in the season but that is not as likely to happen as it is with Yajure.

Escotto is a 19-year-old infielder with one season of pro-ball under his belt. Playing primarily second base in 2019, he slashed .315/.429/.552 with eight home runs and 13 steals over 45 games in the Dominican Summer League. That power/speed combo could make him an interesting player in fantasy if he continues to develop, but he is the furthest away from making any kind of impact.

Smith was a fourth-round pick out of high school for the Yankees in the 2017 draft, and he seemed to have made a step forward in his development in 2019. After struggling in 2018 to the tune of a .191 average and .596 OPS in Low-A, Smith slashed .307/.408/.465 over 124 games in the South Atlantic League in 2019, hitting 11 home runs with 16 steals while posting a 20.5 percent strikeout rate and 14 percent walk rate. The Pirates have several higher-ranked outfield prospects in their system — including the newly acquired Hudson Head — but a big season by Smith in 2021 could have him vying for playing time in the near future.

 

Fantasy Bottom Line

Taillon will be the only player in this deal that managers can feel certain will make an impact in fantasy this season. Assuming he stays healthy and a full season is played, managers should expect around 10 to 13 wins from Taillon with about 140 strikeouts and an ERA somewhere between 3.50 and 4.00. He's currently being drafted in the later rounds with an ADP of 237, which seems to be a fair place for him to go. However his new teammate Kluber currently has an ADP of 244, and some managers might want to go with Kluber over Taillon based on his track record and better potential value.

Out of the prospects Pittsburgh acquired Yajure is the most likely to make an impact in 2021, but managers should only look at him as a late-round pick in 12-team and deeper leagues. The other three players in this trade should only be looked at in dynasty leagues, with Contreras being the player closest to reaching the majors while Escotto is the furthest out from making his debut.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa
Kristaps Porzingis

Reportedly Still Not Completely Healthy
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Reportedly on the Trade Block
Andre Drummond

Future in Philadelphia in Doubt
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Helps Greece Reach Semis at EuroBasket
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Posts Historic Triple-Double

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP