According to reports, Rockies trade Jake Bird to New York Yankees; receive two prospects

The Birdman is headed to the Bronx.

Per YES’s Jack Curry, the Colorado Rockies have swung another trade with the New York Yankees, this time sending Jake Bird out East.

The oft-relied upon Bird will bolster an evolving Yankees bullpen — one that has already been strengthened by adding David Bednar earlier today.

Bird was spectacular in the first half of this season, and though he’s struggled of late, he’ll be another solid addition to a New York relief corps that’s gearing up for a deep postseason run.

Roc Riggio

In return for his services, the Yankees have sent over prospects Roc Riggio and Ben Shields.

Riggio, New York’s no. 10 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is an exciting young second baseman that immediately becomes one of the more intriguing prospects in Colorado’s system. The 23-year-old has been promoted twice this year and is currently slashing .261/.335/.542 with the Somerset Patriots.

A fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Riggio’s acquisition addresses the lack of depth at second base within the Rockies’ farm system.

Described by MLB Pipeline as having “the build, bravado, and max-effort swing of a lefty-hitting Dustin Pedroia,” Riggio is a strong left-handed hitter with pull-side power. Although he strikes out his fair share—especially on breaking pitches—he’s patient enough at the plate to draw walks. He’s also aggressive on the bases, despite being not particularly speedy for his size. Riggio stole 27 bases in 2024 and has stolen nine so far this year.

A solid enough defender at second base, Riggio doesn’t have much in terms of positional versatility due to his arm and agility. The Yankees gave him limited reps at shortstop at Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley, but he lacksthe agility for the position.

Ben Shields

Ben Shields, the Yankee’s no. 28 organizational prospect, was an undrafted free agent in 2024 despite leading the Atlantic 10 Conference in strikeouts at George Mason. His advanced age at 26-years-old may raise some eyebrows, but he’s ascended through the Yankees farm system quickly with positive results. He did miss some time early in the season with a hip injury, but has been healthy since and could potentially see Triple-A by the end of this season.

Shields’ two best pitches are his low-80s curveball and mid-80s slider, which he uses in conjunction with a solid-enough four-seam fastball that has carry and armside run. He uses all three pitches to generate whiffs, averaging a 10.6 SO/9 across four levels of play in 2025. He’s seen his strikeouts drop a bit since arriving in Double-A, but has managed a 3.42 ERA over five starts with Double-A Somerset.

Although he’s currently a starter, it’s likely Shields could be moved to a multi-inning relief role as his career continues.

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