PITTSBURGH — Left-handed relief pitcher Phil Coke has joined the team after being acquired from the New York Yankees earlier this week.
Coke, 34, spent most of his 2016 season with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Scranton, Pa., and had just returned from winning the Triple-A National Championship when he got the phone call from Yankees GM Brian Cashman that the Pirates were interesting in trading for him.
“I said, ‘That’s not that far away. I’m in. I’ll be there whenever they want me,’” Coke recalled. “I couldn’t ask for a better situation. I like the opportunity to step into a tough situation and hopefully improve it.