One thing the New York Yankees can’t afford to be doing is losing bullpen arms, which happened on Monday afternoon as relief pitcher Ryan Weber elected to hit free agency instead of accepting an assignment to Triple-A Scranton.
Per the Yankees:
Today RHP Ryan Weber elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment.
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Weber recently made his first appearance of the season with the Yankees against the Tampa Bay Rays last week, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing one earned run against two hits. He tossed 48 pitches, collecting one strikeout and eight ground balls.
The 31-year-old pitcher has bounced around the league since joining the MLB in 2015. He spent time with the Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and Yankees this year. He has a career ERA of 5.22 and a 4.43 xFIP.
The veteran bullpen arm utilizes a variety of pitches, including a fastball, slider, curveball, and change-up. His fastball came in the form of a sinker, which he’s thrown at 53.9% throughout his career at 89.4 mph.
Weber’s pitches move tremendously, making it incredibly difficult for batters to make quality contact, given his 53.2% ground ball rate.
In his absence, the Bombers will have to continue relying on some of their younger options, notably Ron Marinaccio and David McKay. Veterans Manny Banuelos and Wandy Peralta will also be leaned on until Jonathan Loaisgia makes a full return.
There’s also a big question at closer once Aroldis Chapman returns. The expectation is that Clay Holmes will lock down high leverage situations, whether that be in the 8th or 9th inning. Chapman should continue factoring in as the primary closer in low-leverage situations unless he loses all favor with the coaching staff.