Yankees insider pinpoints surprising prospect Pirates are targeting in trade talks

Recently, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the New York Yankees were picking up steam in the Mitch Keller sweepstakes. The Pirates are entertaining a big trade involving the right-hander, looking to rejuvenate their offensive-lacking ball club. Or so we thought.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post (subscription only) also talked about the Yankees' interest in Keller this week, and actually threw a name out that the Pirates had reportedly called about: New York's second-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Carlos Lagrange. An outfielder? A shortstop? Neither. A right-handed pitcher that just got promoted to Double-A. Why is he the focus of Ben Cherington's recent push?

Lagrange is currently the only reported Yankees prospect that the Pirates have their eyes on, and he is another pitcher. Cherington is already on the hot seat, and it is tough to see him getting off of it if his targets are flamethrowers rather than bonafide bats this summer. Pittsburgh has already struggled to move their surplus of pitching in the past for offense, only utilizing it to pick up Spencer Horwitz.

If that trend continues and the Pirates add even more high-upside pitching with a guy like Lagrange, then these offensive woes are going to continue into 2026.

Pirates surprisingly targeting Yankees top pitching prospect ahead of MLB Trade Deadline.

While there isn't a big need for pitching in Pittsburgh, there is still reason to be excited about a prospect like Lagrange. The right-hander has the upside to become a top-of-the-rotation starter. His fastball reaches 102 coming from a lower 3/4 arm slot. He adds a big sweeping slider, a high-80s cutter, and a changeup that has a lot of depth. When he's on, he's on.

Lagrange has all the pitches to become a major leaguer, but his problem in his early career has been control. This is the first season where his BB/9 has fallen below 5.00 at 3.96. That looks good on the year, but it has also vaulted to 5.55 after his promotion to Double-A. The walks are a big issue for the 22-year-old. Those pitches truly are nasty, though, as his K/9 this year is up to 13.15. That's unreal. He's barely allowed home runs, either, excelling at keeping the ball in the ballpark. His ERA sits at 3.96 with a 3.09 FIP (2.84 xFIP).

This is extremely likely to be the Yankees' headliner for any completed Keller deal, which comes as a big surprise for an organization that should be seeking offense. Lagrange is truly an outstanding prospect, though, and would be a really good add for this pitching lab.