The New York Yankees operate around the bullpen like magical chairs, sending players back down to Triple-A and calling others up to maintain stamina and reduce fatigue.
After trading away Nick Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations earlier this week, the Yankees outraged Tanner Tully to Triple-A Scranton on Thursday morning.
The 29-year-old has three minor-league options left, so it is no surprise the Yankees are leveraging his flexibility. Tully hasn’t made an appearance for the Yankees this season, but he pitched 91 innings in Triple-A last year, hosting a 5.64 ERA, including 7.62 strikeouts per nine, a 66.7% left-on-base rate, and a 40.7% ground ball rate.
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The Yankees Only Promoted Tully as a Last Resort
Tully is a pitcher and essentially can offer the Yankees an arm in blowout scenarios, but he’s otherwise untrustworthy as a consistent relief pitcher. Since he’s a lefty, the Yankees may consider utilizing him against lefty batters late in an inning to ensure they can move off of him as soon as possible.
Expect a corresponding move from the Yankees to fill a bullpen spot for Friday’s home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays.