Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that the New York Yankees are nearing a deal with left-handed reliever Tyler Matzek on a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training.
Across 285.1 innings pitched, the left-hander has a 3.72 ERA in the Major Leagues, breaking out with the Atlanta Braves after transitioning into a bullpen role. He’s had dominant seasons, including his 2021 campaign, where he posted a 2.57 ERA across 69 appearances, and in the postseason, Matzek has earned the nickname ‘Nutsack’ due to his incredibly clutch performances.
He has a 1.48 ERA and 1.45 FIP across 20 postseason appearances, and now he joins the Yankees with a chance to make the roster out of Spring Training.
Tyler Matzek Nearing MiLB Deal With Yankees
Last season was a disaster for Tyler Matzek, who dealt with a slew of injuries and posted a 9.90 ERA across 11 appearances with the Atlanta Braves. He was traded this past season while on the IL to the San Francisco Giants as a way to offload Jorge Soler’s salary, not throwing a single pitch at the Major League level after the trade.
Injuries have slowed Matzek down over the past two seasons, as he hasn’t pitched a full year since 2021 due to a variety of issues that have sidelined him. Regardless of the injuries, the left-hander still has a four-seamer with good vertical movement that could be deadly again if he regains some of the lost velocity over the years.
The best weapon in his toolbox might be his slider, a pitch with excellent two-plane movement that generates a ton of vertical drop with good lateral movement. The Yankees may try to reincorporate his cutter, a pitch that has fallen to the wayside despite strong pitch quality grades and results as well.
Back in 2020, Matzek utilized his cutter 9.7% of the time and generated a 50% Whiff% and .091 wOBA allowed, but has only thrown one cutter since that season which came in 2024. Similarly to how they revitalized Tim Hill with some subtle but significant tweaks, the Yankees might be able to revive Tyler Matzek.
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What makes this signing a low-risk high-reward deal is that the Yankees will not have to place Tyler Matzek on their 40-man roster, and he will have to earn a job out of camp in order to make the team. It allows the organization to evaluate his arm health, pitch movement, and overall effectiveness on the mound without a commitment that’ll affect their roster composition or their payroll.
Over the past seven days, the Yankees have added three left-handed pitchers to their bullpen depth chart, headlined by a reunion with Tim Hill. Brian Cashman has assembled quite the bullpen, with tons of talent projected to make the 26-man roster and a good mix of veterans and rookies who could start the year in Triple-A.
The infield remains a question mark for the Yankees at the moment, but the addition of Tyler Matzek has no immediate or guaranteed ramifications on their payroll for 2025, so any moves they are eyeing on the infield market should remain on the table.