In July of 2008, former Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington made a pair of major trades. One of these two trades saw the Pirates send outfielder Xavier Nady and reliever Damaso Marte to the New York Yankees in exchange for four prospects. One of these prospects was outfielder Jose Tabata.
In addition to Tabata, the Pittsburgh Pirates also received pitchers Daniel McCutchen, Jeff Karstens, and Ross Ohlendorf. However, Tabata was the prized piece in this trade.
Tabata quickly made his impact in Pittsburgh.