The New York Yankees are putting the final touches on their Opening Day roster. Starting pitchers Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco unexpectedly made the roster after spring training injuries. Ben Rice is likely to be the designated hitter with Giancarlo Stanton on the shelf. But the bullpen had one big question. With Tim Hill as the only lefty in the bullpen, they needed an addition. The Yankees signed Ryan Yarbrough on Monday, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, to fill that need.
“Ryan Yarbrough is here in the Yankees’ clubhouse. He confirmed he signed a major-league deal with the team,” Castillo reported.
Castillo followed up with the terms of the deal. “It’s a one-year deal for $2 million with $500,000 in incentives for Yarbrough, per source.”
Yarbrough is 33 years old and spent last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays. In 12 appearances with Toronto, he posted a 2.01 ERA in 31.1 innings. LA’s stacked bullpen left him without a space last year and he rebounded significantly up in Canada.
The Yankees made two big relief pitching moves this offseason but both were for righties. They traded for Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers, one of the top closers in the game. And then, they sent backup catcher Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds for Fernando Cruz.
Yarbrough and Hill will be very important for the Yankees this season. While Gerrit Cole is out for the year, they will not have starters going deep into games this year. Plus, the Orioles and Red Sox have stacked lineups that will be difficult to pitch against. Bullpen lefties are always important and Yarbrough could be that guy for New York this year.
This may not be the last move the Yankees make before Opening Day. Could they add a righty bat in the outfield or at third base?
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