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MLB Trade Deadline: Yankees Trade Beltran To Rangers, Nova To Pirates

By Mark Suleymanov
Published on: 08:31 PST, Aug 1, 2016

The New York Yankees continued their busy trade deadline, dealing Carlos Beltran to the Texas Rangers and Ivan Nova to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After losing Prince Fielder for the season to neck surgery, the Rangers have acquired veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran from the New York Yankees, as first reported by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Former first-round pick (fourth overall) from 2015 Dillon Tate is heading to New York along with minor league right-hander’s Nick Green and Erik Swanson (via Jack Curry/YES Network)

Beltran, 39, is a premiere rental piece for Texas as they prepare for a run at the postseason and beyond. The switch-hitter, who is a free agent after 2016, has been the Yankees’ best hitter this season, slashing 0.304/0.344/0.546 with 22 home runs and 64 runs batted in through 99 games. This marks the third time in Beltran’s career that he’s been dealt at the deadline; the Royals sent him to Astros for in 2004 and the Mets sent him to the Giants in 2011.

“I always say that I love it here, I love playing here,” Beltran told NJ.com about his time with the Yankees. “I know it’s difficult sometimes when you see a good guy and a good friend leave the team, but at the end of the day we have a commitment here. Whatever happens is going to happen, so I’m not going to think about it. Honestly.”

With Beltran out, the Yankees now have the chance to call up top prospect Aaron Judge to man right field or catcher Gary Sanchez and split designated hitter duties amongst Alex Rodriguez and Brian McCann.

Tate, 22, has struggled at Class-A this season, pitching to a 3-3 record with a 5.12 ERA in 19 starts. However, the University of California, Santa Barbara product brings a top prospect pedigree to the Yankees’ system.

In trades that sent Andrew Miller to Cleveland and Aroldis Chapman to Chicago, the Yankees have obtained two top-five picks (Tate, Clint Frazier). In their history, they have made just three top-five picks in the history of the amateur draft (Ron Blomberg, Brien Taylor, and Thurman Munson), per Katie Sharp.

Swanson, 22, is a former eight-round pick in the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft. With Class-A Hickory this season, the Terrence Park, Ohio, native has gone 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA in 81-and-one-third innings.

Green, 25, is 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA in 34-and-one-third innings at Class-A Spokane. The Yankees drafted Green in the 35th round of the 2013 Amateur Draft, but he elected to attend Indian Hills Community College instead. Three years later, the Yankees have acquired Green.

As for Nova, he heads to Pittsburgh in exchange for a player to be named later, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman first reported. Nova, 29, is a free agent at the end of the season and not eligible for a qualifying offer, which enticed the Yankees to part with their longtime right-hander.

In 21 games (15 starts) this season, Nova has gone 7-6 with a 4.90 ERA and allowed 19 homers in 97-and-one-third innings. After undergoing Tommy John surgery during the 2014 campaign, Nova has failed to replicate his prior success. He has experience as both a starter and a reliever, giving the Pirates a versatile piece for their pitching staff.

In 131 total games (118 starts) over his Yankee career, Nova went 53-39 with a 4.41 ERA in 729 innings. During his career, the Dominican Republic native has generally rated as a roughly league average pitcher.

[Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images]

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