With the Athletics firmly out of the playoff picture, the Yankees should be calling them regarding the availbility of any rentals on the roster.
One of those rentals would be LHP Sean Newcomb, a starter turned reliever who has flourished in a bullpen role, flashing a deep repertoire and brilliant command.
The versatility to go 2-3 innings at any time or even make a spot start creates ton of value for a roster such as the Yankees’ where rotation spots are up for grabs and the bullpen is a mess.
Newcomb has a 3.65 ERA and a 21.1% strikeout rate pitching for teams with very hitter-friendly ballparks such as the Red Sox and Athletics, whom are both among the five most run-happy ballparks in the sport.
With improving velocity as a reliever, the Yankees could scoop up Sean Newcomb for cheap to improve their bullpen depth instantly.
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It’s been a tumultuous career for Sean Newcomb, who was once a promising pitcher with the Atlanta Braves before injuries and inconsistency had him bounce around various organizations.
After posting an ERA over 6.00 with a -0.2 WAR with the Athletics last season, he signed a Minor League deal with the Red Sox and got a chance to start for them before moving into their bullpen.
Despite a 3.95 ERA and 3.43 FIP, Boston elected to designate him for assignment, returning to the Athletics via trade to try and get consistent reps for a team desperate for pitching.
He’s posted a 3.05 ERA, throwing half a tick harder and having elite damage prevention metrics, making some key changes to his repertoire to miss more bats and prevent runs.
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Sean Newcomb’s cutter was highly ineffective at missing bats or limiting damage contact, so he’s reduced the usage of that pitch dramatically, and we’ve also seen him rely on his sinker more.
This sinker has added more horizontal movement while maintaining elite vertical drop, as Newcomb has seen a velocity bump in June and July.
Both his four-seamer and sinker have seen an uptick by a little over one MPH, and his Stuff+ has climbed from 97 to 103 overall as a result.
The underlying metrics are strong, and while this wouldn’t be a reliever you’d consider elite, he would present an upgrade over what the Yankees have in their bullpen.
Clayton Beeter, recently DFA’d Geoff Hartlieb, and Scott Effross aren’t going to provide the 3.20 ERA and 3.67 FIP that Newcomb has in relief.
Sean Newcomb has pitched with bad ballparks and terrible defense, as he’s had a -5 OAA behind him cumulatively with the Red Sox and Athletics.
Only under contract for the remainder of the season, the Yankees could likely offer someone in their farm system who deosn’t carry a ton of market value.
It could be a prospect such as Everson Pereira for Sean Newcomb, and that kind of deal shouldn’t take all month to form given that the Athletics are dead in the waters.
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