The New York Yankees have a competitive bullpen heading into the 2024 MLB season, but recent departures, a la Keynan Middleton, and several whiffs on desired targets in the free agent market suggest they may need additional reinforcements.
RHP Ryan Brazier was listed as a player of interest for the Yankees after they missed out on Hector Neris
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer named RHP Ryan Brasier as a fit for the Yankees when listing gems still available as free agents.
As Rymer noted, Brasier reduced an ugly 7.29 ERA with the Boston Red Sox to an incredible 0.70 in his 39 appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023.
Such a stark turnaround in the same season says that the Dodgers not only put Brazier in a more conducive situation for him to thrive but also suggests that he may have entered a prime stretch of his career.
The good and bad surrounding Brazier’s stuff
Brazier’s efficiency has fluctuated throughout his career, seeing as low as a 1.60 ERA across 33 innings in 2018 to as high as a 5.78 ERA over 59 innings in 2022.
Closing out the 2023 campaign as strong as he did, coupled with his 95.8 mph fastball velocity and 31.8 percent chase percentage, both of which ranked in the 80th percentile or better, and a 3.8 percent Barrel percentage that got him into the 93rd percentile, say that Brasier has the stuff to support the Yankees in a lead up role.
Brazier last made $720,000 in his third year of arbitration, signaling him as a cost-friendly option for the Yankees as well.