The New York Yankees understand that they have to spend money this offseason in order to continue to be a threat in the AL East. It’s been quiet in the Bronx in terms of handing out lucrative contracts to high-profile free agents, but manager Aaron Boone said this week that he expects more additions before Spring Training and that the Yankees already have a good roster.
On Saturday, Jon Heyman reported that the New York Yankees are expected to re-sign starter Paul Blackburn. The deal is worth $2 million, with the chance to increase to $2.5 million, including $500K worth of incentives.
Yankees Sign Paul Blackburn
This probably isn’t the type of signing many Yankees fans have been hoping for; however, it’s a start. Blackburn spent his 2025 with both the New York Mets and Yankees, and was an All-Star with the Athletics in 2022.
The nine-year MLB veteran posted a 5.28 ERA over 15.1 innings with the Yankees this past season. With the Mets in 2025, Blackburn recorded a 6.85 ERA over 23.2 innings.
In 467.1 career innings, Paul Blackburn has a 4.97 ERA. He landed with the Yankees after being released by the Mets in August.
Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesThe Yankees are trying to figure out their bullpen woes, which is why they added Paul Blackburn.
Once known as a back-of-the-rotation piece, the now 32-year-old pitcher has had trouble finding steady results over the past few seasons. His All-Star season in 2022 featured a 4.28 ERA over 111.1 innings.
After being used primarily as a starter, Blackburn has seen traditional starts decline over the course of his career, as both the Mets and Yankees opted to use him in more of a relief role.
What Will Paul Blackburn’s Role With New York Be?
The New York Yankees are already dealing with injuries to their starting staff, so that may leave the door open for Blackburn to receive a few starts early on in the season.
The $2 million contract shows that Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees organization are semi-committed to Blackburn, so as long as he stays healthy, Yankees fans can expect to see him pitch in some meaningful innings.
Blackburn’s incentives in the contract include a $100K bonus if he reaches 80 innings, and then it features a latter system of incentives all the way up to 120 innings pitched.
According to BaseballReference.com, Blackburn is projected to post a 4.74 ERA over 74 innings pitched, with 66 strikeouts.
The Yankees need to continue being aggressive throughout the winter if they aim to compete with the big spenders in the division like the Orioles and Blue Jays.
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