Two-plus weeks after the 2026 MLB trade deadline, the Yankees have made another move with the Pirates, this time sending veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt to Pittsburgh for cash considerations.
According to Francys Romero of beisbolfr.com, the deal is now in place, and the Yankees are moving on from a player who had been in Triple-A after being released by the Chicago Cubs in mid-July. Bethancourt signed with New York on July 28 and appeared in eight games at the Triple-A level for the Yankees.
Bethancourt, 34, has been in Major League Baseball since 2013, when he played in one game for the Atlanta Braves. His most recent big-league action came in 2024, and he finished that season with a .608 OPS for the Cubs and Miami Marlins.
At Triple-A this year, Bethancourt showed much better results. He hit .333 with a 1.115 OPS in those eight games for the Yankees, and he posted a .775 OPS with the Cubs in 59 games. That adds up to a 67-game, 230-at-bat sample in the minors this season with an .811 OPS.
For New York, the move looks simple enough: Bethancourt did not appear to be part of the club’s MLB plans this season, so getting cash back for him makes sense. For Pittsburgh, it adds catching depth, which the Pirates clearly needed.
The Yankees had already dealt Camilo Doval to Pittsburgh in a separate trade before the deadline, and this one gives them another post-deadline transaction with the same club.
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