The Yankees‘ bullpen has been treading water over the past few weeks despite making several moves at the trade deadline. Since early August, Mark Leiter Jr., acquired from the Chicago Cubs, has struggled to find his footing, posting a 5.91 ERA with the Yankees.
Yankees Bullpen Struggles Despite Trade Deadline Moves
The team designated Enyel De Los Santos for assignment several weeks ago, and he was subsequently claimed by the Chicago White Sox, who saw him give up seven runs in his last relief appearance for the Yankees.
However, the most surprising move came when the Yankees designated Michael Tonkin for assignment on Sunday afternoon, just before their matchup against the Colorado Rockies. Tonkin was one of their more consistent bullpen arms in the first half of the season but faltered after the All-Star break, with his ERA ballooning to 6.98 post-break despite a solid 3.74 ERA overall.
Tonkin’s Decline and DFA
Tonkin pitched 65 innings across three different teams, including 56 innings for the Yankees, posting a 3.38 ERA. Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake managed to extract significant value from the 34-year-old journeyman, who relied on a fastball, slider, sinker, and sweeper. Tonkin ranked in the 78th percentile for chase rate, but his effectiveness waned as the season progressed.
His fastball velocity declined, becoming increasingly ineffective. In July, his four-seamer produced a .176 batting average against, but that jumped to .353 in August, prompting the Yankees to make the tough decision to move on.
Phil Bickford’s Promotion
In a corresponding move, the Yankees promoted Phil Bickford, signing him to a major league contract. The 29-year-old right-hander has pitched five innings for the Yankees with a 14.40 ERA. However, over 45 innings in Triple-A, Bickford posted a 3.00 ERA with an impressive 11 strikeouts per nine innings and an 80.2% left-on-base rate. The Yankees see potential value in Bickford and are keen to see if they can unlock it.
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Reinforcements on the Horizon
The Yankees are expecting several reinforcements to come off the injured list soon. Scott Effross is ready for promotion from Triple-A, while Lou Trivino, Ian Hamilton, Clarke Schmidt, and Cody Poteet are all working their way back from injuries. September will be a crucial month for both the rotation and bullpen to get healthy and build momentum heading into the postseason.