The Yankees are seemingly always active when it comes to supporting their bullpen and finding value in pitchers that others overlook. On Tuesday, the team signed Phil Bickford to a minor league deal, a former first-round draft pick by the San Francisco Giants back in 2015.
Now 28 years old, Bickford has pitched 180.2 innings at the MLB level, sporting a 4.43 ERA. Last season, he tossed 67.1 innings between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, enjoying a 4.95 ERA with 10.16 strikeouts per nine, a 67.2% left-on-base rate, and a 27.9% ground ball rate. He has had some issues keeping his walk numbers down but has been solid in the homer department, allowing just 1.07 per nine.
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The Yankees Found Value in Bickford
Bickford utilizes a four-seamer, slider and dabbles with a change-up. Just as Matt Blake prefers, he leans on the fastball and slider combination, touching 93.7 mph.
Interestingly, opposing hitters batted .183 against his four-seamer last season, a great number that suggests there’s room for upside. His slider wasn’t as effective, generating a .325 batting average with about league-average movement. However, his fastball generated 6% more vertical movement with 15.4 inches of drop compared to the average, suggesting that Blake may look to leverage that specific pitch.
He may try to introduce a sweeper to his arsenal since his slider has been a liability. The Yankees have focused on capitalizing on strengths and refining weaknesses. The Bombers are always looking for plug-and-play relief arms, and Bickford may be an interesting player who will make an impact this year at some point if need be.