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Recent silent release closes book on ill-fated Ben Cherington trade with Yankees

One of the first trades Ben Cherington made when he took over as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ general manager was trading Jameson Taillon to the New York Yankees. Like many of Cherington’s trades, the deal has not worked out in the Pirates’ favor.

The last remaining piece of the trade in Pittsburgh, infielder Maikol Escotto, was recently released, bringing an end to what has become an unimpressive return for Taillon.

Wyatt Sanford to IL

Sammy Stafura to GBO

Javier Rivas to Altoona

Estuar Suero to Bradenton

Maikol Escotto released

Some notable roster moves throughout the system— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) August 5, 2025

At the time of the trade, Escotto was arguably the fourth most valuable piece of the deal, but was still a top 30 prospect in the Yankees’ system.