As the Yankees are currently in “sell mode,” general manager Brian Cashman was able to pull off one more trade before the MLB trade deadline.
According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Yankees have agreed to trade starting pitcher Ivan Nova to the Pittsburgh Pirates for (2) players to be named later. The deal has not been confirmed by either team at this time.
nova traded to pirates
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 1, 2016
With the Yankees trading away Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran, it only made sense for the Yankees to try to get something in return for Nova. The deal went down to the final minutes, but the Yankees were able to trade away Nova, who is set to be a free agent after this season.
Nova posted a 16-4 record in his first year as a starter for the Yankees in 2011, but ever since has dealt with injuries and has been very inconsistent. In his seven seasons in pinstripes, the 29-year-old posted a 53-39 record with a 4.41 ERA in 131 games pitched.
In 21 games so far this season, Nova is 7-6 with a 4.90 ERA. His value on the trade market has taken a major hit over the past few weeks, especially after a rough outing on July 29 against the Tampa Bay Rays. In his final start as a Yankee, Nova only lasted 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on six hits, two of which were home runs.
With Nova heading to Pittsburgh, the Yankees can now elect to move one of their younger pitchers into the big league starting rotation, such as Luis Severino, Chad Green or Luis Cessa.
The moves made at the deadline by the organization will help the team as they look to rebuild their roster into a playoff contender. By opening up a rotation slot, the Yankees will be able to assess what they have on their current roster, as they search for a long-term rotation solution.
