Yankees Trade Manny Banuelos to Pirates for Cash Considerations Ahead of MLB Deadline
July 3, 2022
With no room available on the New York Yankees pitching staff, Manny Banuelos will attempt to carve out a role for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Yankees announced Sunday they have traded Banuelos to the Pirates for cash considerations.
The Yankees designated Banuelos for assignment Tuesday. They had 10 days to put the left-hander on waivers, trade him or release him. He recorded a 2.16 ERA and eight strikeouts in 8.1 innings in four appearances for New York.
A former top prospect, the 31-year-old Banuelos has struggled to find an MLB role. He signed with the Yankees in 2008 out of Mexico as an international free agent.
After the 2010 season, John Manuel of Baseball America ranked Banuelos as the fourth-best prospect in New York's system behind Jesus Montero, Gary Sanchez and Dellin Betances.
Injuries became a problem for Banuelos during the 2012 season. He only made six starts at Triple-A and had Tommy John surgery that kept him out for all of 2013.
The Yankees traded Banuelos to Atlanta in 2015. He made his big league debut with the club that season, posting a 5.13 ERA in seven appearances.
Elbow injuries continued to plague Banuelos in 2015 and 2016. Atlanta designated him for assignment late in the 2016 season, and he signed with the Los Angeles Angels.
After spending one season apiece with the Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations, Banuelos was traded to the Chicago White Sox after the 2018 season. He made a career-high 16 appearances in MLB with the White Sox in 2019 but struggled with a 6.93 ERA over 50.2 innings.
Banuelos spent 2020 and part of 2021 playing with the Fubon Guardians of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He signed with Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League in July 2021.
The Yankees brought Banuelos back as a free agent in January. He had a 2.35 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 30.2 innings with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before getting called up May 26.
The Pirates can offer Banuelos the opportunity to pitch on a consistent basis for the rest of the season. They aren't trying to compete for a playoff spot and can use the final three months to evaluate players who could contribute in 2023.