Why the Yankees Were Allowed to Trade Christian Bethancourt 16 Days After Deadline

A few hours the first pitch on Wednesday night against the Orioles, the Yankees completed a trade involving a veteran player on the minor league roster.

The Yankees announced that they sent veteran catcher Christian Bethancourt to the Pirates "in exchange for cash considerations."The Yankees signed the 34-year-old Bethancourt to a minor-league deal at the end of July, just days before the trade deadline, bolstering their catcher depth.

The New York Yankees today announced that they have traded C Christian Bethancourt to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash considerations.
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) August 19, 2026

In eight games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Bethancourt was tearing the ball off the cover, slashing .333/.407/.708 with three home runs, seven RBI, and an OPS of 1.116.

With New York seemingly finding some stability in the tandem of Austin Wells and Ali Sánchez, it would’ve been tough for Bethancourt to get playing time in the Bronx down the stretch. However, he’ll get that chance in the Steel City with the Pirates.

When this move was announced, some fans on social media were confused, as many thought trades couldn’t happen anymore since the deadline passed earlier in the month on Monday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET.

However, that doesn’t apply to players like Bethancourt, who aren’t on the 40-man roster.

Explaining how the Yankees completed a trade over two weeks after the deadline

For those Yankees fans not aware, teams around the league can still trade veteran players on a minor league deal, like Bethancourt, who was with the Chicago Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate before he was released on July 17.

But two key stipulations come into play when it involves a trade past the deadline, per MLB Trade Rumors:

The player must not have been selected for the 40-man roster
That player cannot be on a Major League injured list at any point of the season

So, as long as those veteran players are on a minor league contract and fit that criteria, they are available to be moved.

As for what teams can get in a potential deal, they could receive another player in return. But that player must fit under the criteria we previously mentioned.

In fact, two years ago, the Yankees completed a trade with the Blue Jays after the deadline. New York acquired outfielder Cam Eden from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations. Eden made a brief big-league stint with Toronto in 2023, which called for him to be on the 40-man roster.

However, after the 2023 season, Toronto removed Eden from its 40-man roster and sent him back to Triple-A Buffalo. In 2024, Eden never made his way back to the 40-man roster, which allowed him to be moved past the deadline.

As you can see, these deals at this point of the year aren’t as unusual as they seem, but they have clear guidelines that must be followed.

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