The Rockies traded right-handed reliever Jake Bird to the Yankees for two prospects Thursday, infielder Roc Riggio and left-hander Ben Shields, a major league source confirmed.
Riggio was the Yankees’ No. 10 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and Shields was their No. 29 prospect. Neither team has announced the trade yet.
Riggio, 23, has been playing at Double-A Somerset, slashed .264/.370/.567 with 27 doubles, five triples and 11 home runs at High-A and Double-A this season. A fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft, the left-handed hitting Riggio should give the Rockies some needed depth in their farm system.
Shields, 26, pitched at four minor league levels this season, is 1-2 with a 3.03 ERA over nine starts with 42 strikeouts vs. just 14 walks. In five starts at Double-A (23 2/3 innings), he was 1-2 with a 3.37 ERA, 26 strikeouts and 10 walks. Shields is considered a diamond in the rough. He was an undrafted free agent in 2024 despite leading the Atlantic 10 Conference in strikeouts at George Mason.
The news was first reported by the YES Network.
Bird, a 29-year-old workhorse middle reliever, has been Colorado’s best pitcher for much of the season. There was even talk that he might be a dark-horse candidate for the All-Star Game. Over 45 games (53 1/3 innings), Bird is 4-1 with a 4.73 ERA, a 1.481 WHIP, 62 strikeouts and 23 walks. Before the All-Star break, Bird was 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA, but a few rough innings in July inflated his ERA.
Trading Bird is Colorado’s second significant deal with the Yankees in the last week. The Rockies dealt third baseman Ryan McMahon to New York last Friday. Bird won’t cost the Yankees much financially. He’s in his final pre-arbitration season and controllable for three years after this season.
This story will be updated.
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