The New York Yankees needed rotation help for the start of the season, and they also knew just who they could turn to.
Ryan Yarbrough has made a career in Major League Baseball out of taking the ball whenever his team needs him. The 33-year-old lefty is entering his ninth season in the league, and although he only throws his fastball an average of 87.5 mph (first percentile of all big-league pitchers), he’s crafty enough to avoid getting pummeled.
Yarbrough just completed his first season with the Yankees after he was signed at the very end of spring training, just a day after being released by the Toronto Blue Jays. He spent the early part of the season in the bullpen, then transferred to the bullpen in a long relief role.
The Yankees must have liked what they saw, and with Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole set to miss opening day, they appear to be bringing Yarbrough back in almost the same capacity.
According to a report from FanSided’s Robert Murray, Yarbrough and the Yankees are closing in on a one-year, major league contract for the upcoming season. The deal has not been officially announced, and the money involved is not yet known. Yarbrough made $2 million for the Yankees this past season.
In 64 innings for the Yankees this past season, Yarbrough posted a 4.36 ERA and 55 strikeouts. He did not appear on the Yankees’ playoff roster, but that roster included a healthy Rodón.
It’s not as though the Yankees are expecting Yarbrough to be an ace, but pitching depth is vital in the modern era of Major League Baseball.
Yarbrough is the type of pitcher who can give a team five innings every five games and keep the bullpen from getting exhausted, and when he becomes a member of that bullpen, he’ll be the one the team turns to when high-leverage arms are already exhausted.
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