The New York Yankees have brought back RHP Paul Blackburn, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, as they bolster their pitching depth with a versatile pitching option.
He spent most of last season with the Mets before joining the Yankees during the middle of the season, serving as a reliever where he struggled with a 5.28 ERA, but showed signs of improvement along the way.
New York had made some alterations to his pitch usage, which allowed him to pitch to a 1.50 ERA and 3.47 FIP after his first appearance with the team against the Red Sox.
Blackburn is entering his age-32 season, and this reported deal is an MLB one at one-year $2 million, with incentives based on innings pitched that could further escalate the deal.
Paul Blackburn Returns to the Yankees, Pitching Staff Gets More Depth
When the Yankees picked up Paul Blackburn from their crosstown rivals in the Mets, they were hoping for some pitching depth with a project they liked.
It came with a hideous start, but the right-hander would pick things up in his final 11 outings to provide the kind of upside the team saw in Luke Weaver two years prior.
There are some fundamental differences with their profile, namely that the Yankees have fewer optionable pitchers on their roster than the 2023 team did, but the organization has taken risks like this before.
The Yankees will not have any moves they previously hoped to make affected by the return of Blackburn, who can also start in a pinch if needed.
With the lack of pitching depth in the upper levels of the Minor Leagues, the organization wants to be ensured that it can get through Spring Training without the slew of injuries that sunk them a year prior.
It could get interesting if their starters get healthy since both he and Ryan Yarbrough would be viewed are expendable, questioning whether they’ll have to make some tough decisions in-season.
Usually teams end up with enough injuries for most of the season to not have to make these tough decisions, but the Yankees will at least have to cut from the roster if everyone’s healthy instead of being undermanned.
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