The New York Yankees are still ironing out their final 26-man playoff roster. There was a big question regarding starting pitcher Jameson Taillon and if he could factor in. On Monday afternoon, manager Aaron Boone stated that Taillon would be included in the playoff roster, specifically as a part of the bullpen.
The Yankees are planning to roll with a three-man starting rotation, including Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortés, and Luis Severino. Clearly, that left Taillon out of the equation, but it seems as if they will utilize him if need be, especially if they require multiple innings worth of play.
The team may prefer to rely on an option like Taillon rather than use multiple relief pitchers during the middle innings to get through a tough stretch. Any extra inning scenarios would also suggest Jamison offers the best alternative.
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The Yankees can get some value out of Jameson Taillon:
This season, Taillon recorded a 3.91 ERA, 3.79 xFIP, 7.66 strikeouts per nine, and a 75.3% left-on-base rate over 177.1 innings.
The 30-year-old starter was a valuable No. 5 pitcher in the rotation, so including him in the playoff roster makes sense, given the longevity he can offer.
However, Taillon struggled to close the campaign, giving up six earned runs in his final two appearances and nine runs in his first three appearances in the month of September. After starting the 2022 season on fire, hosting a 3.26 ERA in April and a 2.01 ERA in May, things began to deteriorate.
It was always possible the Bombers found a way to utilize him, and with Aroldis Chapman abandoning the team over the weekend and opening up a playoff roster spot, he cleared the way for Taillon to get another opportunity to make an impact.