Yankees Flip the Bird—Trade Brings New Arm to Bronx
Hey, have you heard the latest from the MLB trade front? Things are moving fast as the 2025 deadline hits, and the Yankees have made yet another move to bolster their bullpen. This time, they’ve worked out a deal with the Colorado Rockies to acquire right-handed reliever Jake Bird.
The trade was reported earlier today by Jack Curry of the YES Network, and here’s the scoop: Jake Bird is headed to the Bronx, while the Rockies receive two prospects in return—infielder Roc Riggio and left-handed pitcher Ben Shields. Now, Roc Riggio is a name some Yankees fans were really high on. He’s got that “bat-first” second baseman profile and could be a great fit at Coors Field, but it’s clear the Yankees were willing to deal from depth to address a clear need on the mound.
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Bird is an interesting pickup. He's 29, stands 6-foot-3, and has decent swing-and-miss stuff. He’s racked up 62 strikeouts over 53.1 innings this year. His ERA sits at 4.73, which might not jump off the page, but there’s some context to that. Coors Field is notoriously tough on pitchers, and actually, Bird’s been oddly better at Coors this season than on the road. That kind of reverse split throws some people off, but the Yankees are clearly betting that with their coaching and ballpark, they can unlock more consistency from him.
Bird features a mix of pitches including a 94 mph sinker, a sweeper, curveball, and cutter, according to Statcast data. He’s under team control through 2028, which gives New York a bit of a longer-term option in the bullpen—not just a rental.
This move comes shortly after the Yankees also made a splash by acquiring Pirates closer David Bednar, so now they’ve really strengthened the back end of the pen. Bednar’s been lights out with a 2.37 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 38 innings, and he’s expected to take over the closer role, with Devin Williams likely shifting to a setup spot.
There’s still time before the deadline hits at 6 p.m. Eastern, and rumors are swirling. The Yankees are still eyeing starting pitchers—names like Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, or even Sandy Alcantara have come up. Whether another deal materializes remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say Brian Cashman and his crew are going all-in to give the team a shot at making a deep October run.
So yeah—Bird is flying to the Bronx. Let’s see if he soars.
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