The New York Yankees, in the market for rotation and bullpen depth, have reached an agreement to re-sign versatile left-hander Ryan Yarbrough to a one-year contract, sources confirmed to ESPN on Monday.
The deal, pending a physical, is for $2.5 million, sources told ESPN’s Buster Olney.
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Yarbrough rejoins the Yankees after signing a major-league deal with the club on the final day of spring training last March. He went on to post a 4.36 ERA over 64 innings, bouncing between the rotation and bullpen to make eight starts and 11 relief appearances, and missed more than two months with a strained oblique.
For now, the eight-year veteran gives the Yankees insurance for a rotation that will begin the season without Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt.
Cole is not projected to return until mid-May at the earliest as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Rodón is expected to miss at least the first few weeks of the season after undergoing surgery on his left elbow to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur last month. Schmidt won’t be cleared to return from Tommy John surgery until the second half of the season, at the earliest.
“Hopefully, health is blessed early in the rotation as well as in the early portion of February, March, and April, but you can’t count on that,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said last week. “So, of course, we’ll be exploring how to protect ourselves so we’re not taking on water early, because our rotation is compromised out of the gate. Certainly can’t wait to get those guys back — and Cole and Rodón especially — but, yeah, it’s an area for us to focus on.”
As it stands, Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil and Will Warren will begin the season in the Yankees’ rotation. The fifth spot could go to Yarbrough. Should the Yankees further address the rotation this offseason or give a spot to another pitcher in their farm system, Yarbough could serve as the bullpen’s long man and second lefty alongside Tim Hill.
Fansided first reported the agreement between Yarbrough and the Yankees.
