Overview
- The Yankees announced the trade on Wednesday, Aug. 19, sending catcher Christian Bethancourt to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations.
- Because Bethancourt was not on New York’s 40-man roster the deal was allowed after the Aug. 3 deadline and completed as a minor-league transaction.
- Pittsburgh assigned Bethancourt to Triple-A Indianapolis and expects him to join the club’s major-league taxi squad in Los Angeles this weekend.
- Bethancourt is a 34-year-old journeyman who has not played in the majors since 2024 and this season hit a combined .270 with a .811 OPS, 14 home runs and 45 RBI across 67 Triple-A games.
- The move gives the Pirates short-term, experienced depth behind Henry Davis and Rafael Flores Jr. while Endy Rodriguez copes with recurring lower-body injuries and the club evaluates whether to promote a minor-league catcher or use veteran depth.