Yankees Trade Outfielder Taylor Trammell to Astros Ahead of 2024 Free Agency

In a recent move, the New York Yankees have traded outfielder Taylor Trammell to the Houston Astros, marking a significant transaction ahead of the 2024 free agency period. Trammell, 27, has had a tumultuous career path since being drafted by the Cincinnati Reds as the 35th overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. He earned MVP honors at the 2018 All-Star Futures Game but has since been traded multiple times, first to the San Diego Padres in 2019 and then to the Seattle Mariners in 2020.

Trammell made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2021 and played for the team for three seasons before being designated for assignment prior to the 2024 season. He was subsequently claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in April 2024 but appeared in only five games for the Dodgers before being waived again. The Yankees picked him up, and he participated in five games for New York, though with limited plate appearances. Trammell spent most of the 2024 season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he hit .256 with 18 home runs, 16 doubles, and 63 RBIs across 106 games.

The trade to the Astros comes as MLB teams prepare to enter the free agency period, which officially begins on Monday at 5 p.m., five days after the conclusion of the World Series. This move is part of the Yankees’ roster adjustments to protect players from minor league free agency and to shape their team for the upcoming season.

Luis De los Santos and Jorge Escarra were also added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster, alongside Trammell, before his trade. De los Santos, a 26-year-old pitcher, joined the Yankees as a minor league free agent and had a 2-2 record with a 4.12 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 59 innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the 2024 season. Escarra, 29, split his playing time between Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, hitting .261 with 12 home runs and 64 RBIs across 124 games.