Colorado designated Aquino for assignment on Jan. 30 but was still able to get something of value in return for him.
The Colorado Rockies on Wednesday acquired relief pitcher Tyler Ybarra from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league starter Jayson Aquino, according to a team announcement.
Ybarra, 25, was drafted in the 43rd round of the 2008 MLB Draft and has steadily climbed the minor league ladder since then. He missed the 2010 season due to personal matters but has spent every other one of his pro campaigns at a different level, topping out at Double-A in 2014. Ybarra possesses a fastball in the mid to upper 90s, which has allowed him to strike out more than a batter per inning during his minor league career. He's also walked nearly five batters per nine innings, making him similar to Rockies reliever Rex Brothers in terms of performance.
Wednesday will no doubt prove to be an emotional day for Ybarra. In addition to the trade (and of much more importance than it), his daughter, Arianna, was scheduled to undergo open heart surgery. Here's hoping for the best for the Rockies organization's newest member and his family.
Aquino, 22, was designated for assignment last Friday to make room on the roster for David Hale, who was acquired by the Rockies along with Gus Schlosser in a trade with the Atlanta Braves. Aquino struggled to a 5.40 ERA in Modesto last season, a year after posting a 4.34 ERA for Tri-City and Asheville. Aquino hasn't handled tougher levels well during his pro career, although he did pitch admirably in a two-start sample size in Double-A at the end of 2014.