Yankees sign a reliever to minor league deal, but outfield depth is starting to become a concern

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have a glaring need for outfielders, with lots of injuries and underperforming players in that specific position. They are reportedly interested in speedy center fielder Delino DeShields Jr.

The Yankees made a signing on Friday, but it has nothing to do with the current outfielder need. They secured the services of right-handed reliever Sal Romano on a minor league deal, to shore up the overall depth in the organization.

According to a report from NBC Sports Edge, the Yankees signed the former Cincinnati Reds right-hander after his former team designated him for assignment last week and removed him from the 40-man roster.

Per NJ Advance Media, Romano has made 14 appearances this season, with a 5.23 ERA. The 27-year-old hurler was drafted by Cincinnati in 2011 and was a starter for most of his minor league career.

However, in 2018, Romano made the transition to the bullpen, which is the role the Yankees probably have in mind for him.

For his career, Romano has a 15-19 record with a 5.15 ERA in 83 games from the mound.

What about the Yankees’ outfield?

The Yankees are now expected to address the outfield next, as the number of healthy players at the position is decreasing by the day.

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Hicks are on the injured list, and Ryan LaMarre got injured this week, as well. Clint Frazier is dealing with a sore neck, too.

Right now, the Yankees’ outfield depth is in a bit of a crisis, as Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner are the only healthy true defenders of the position, a situation that has forced manager Aaron Boone to rely on true infielders converted to outfielders as part of their respective utility experiments: Miguel Andujar and Tyler Wade.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Yankees continue to discuss DeShields with the Texas Rangers.

Mentioned in this article:

More about: