Pittsburgh Pirates: Jameson Taillon Pens Heartfelt Goodbye

June 7th, 2010, the Pittsburgh Pirates entered the Major League Baseball Draft with the 2nd overall pick. With this pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed starting pitcher Jameson Taillon.

January 24th, 2021, Taillon’s tenure with the Pittsburgh Pirates came to an end. This tenure ended when the Pirates traded Taillon to the New York Yankees in exchange for a quartet of players, two pitchers and two hitters.

By trading Taillon to the Yankees the Pirates ending the tenure of a pitcher who was once viewed as the future ace of the Pirate starting rotation. During his time in Pittsburgh, Taillon battle injuries. However, when healthy, he pitched extremely well for the Bucs.

Taillon also became a big part of the Pittsburgh community. He did a lot of work for various Pittsburgh charities, and was the MLB Union rep for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Taillon also created his own coffee company, which helps to raise funds for Lending Hearts.

While Taillon’s time in Pittsburgh may be over, it is not a time that Taillon will ever forget. This was shown when he took to mlb.com to tell the Pirates, Pirate fans and the city of Pittsburgh goodbye following his trade.

While you can read Jameson’s entire heartfelt piece here, this may be the section that, above all else, stands out the most:

I had some of those clear-cut plans when I signed with the Pirates in 2010. I was going to make the big leagues by 2013. We were going to win a World Series by 2015. Those were the things I thought about when I entered pro ball at 18 years old. That was what I had in mind for my career.Clearly, that didn’t work out. This was not the super smooth, super easy path I dreamed of. I wish I’d had more time, pitched more often and won more games with the Pirates. I wish I had brought a World Series championship back to Pittsburgh playing alongside the guys I came up with.But I wouldn’t change my journey here for anything.

First and foremost, Taillon’s career certainly did not go as according to plan. Due to Tommy John surgery and a hernia issue, he did not make his MLB debut until 2016. He then lost most of 2019 and all of 2020 due to a second Tommy John surgery, and he lost time in 2017 due to testicular cancer.

Another noteable is Taillon’s desire to bring a World Series back to Pittsburgh by 2015. Had Taillon been healthy, the Pirates may have done just that in 2015. Without Taillon, the team won 98 games, however, this put them at second place in the NL Central.

Had Taillon been healthy, it’s not unreasonable to think the Pirates would have won another game or two. This would have led to the team capturing the NL Central and avoiding the NL Wild Card Game where they were defeated by the Chicago Cubs.

While Taillon’s time in Pittsburgh is over, it is not a time that should be forgotten. He did a lot for the community and is a very easy individual to root for. We wish Jameson all the best in New York. Depsite the move to the Big Apple, Jameson will always have some yinzer in him.