The New York Yankees continued to search for answers to fix their ailing bullpen.
New York signed recently released relief pitcher Paul Blackburn on Thursday and added him to its active roster.
Blackburn was designated for assignment by the New York Mets on Aug. 16 and was outright released Tuesday after clearing. He is 0-3 with a 6.85 ERA with one save in 23 2/3 innings for the Mets this year.
To make room for Blackburn on their 26-man roster, the Yankees sent right-hander Allan Winans to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.
Why Did The Yankees Sign Paul Blackburn?
Blackburn’s numbers are not good since he came to New York in a trade with the then-Oakland Athletics at last year’s trade deadline. The 31-year-old had a 1-5 record and 6.00 ERA with a minus-0.7 bWAR in 48 innings with the Mets, primarily serving as a starter.
But the Yankees want Blackburn as a long reliever, since they are still waiting for Ryan Yarbrough to come back and potentially fill that No. 5/long reliever role from injury. Since DFA’ing starter/reliever J.T. Brubaker after their trade-deadline shopping spree, New York has a need for a mop-up reliever and long man, which is where Blackburn will fit.
“Our pen right now is not filled with a lot of guys to give us a lot of length,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously [Blackburn has] a track record of success in the big leagues; a guy thatâs built up that gives us some coverage if we get in a situation where we need some real length.”
There are also signs that Blackburn has been more unlucky than bad this season. His expected ERA, per FanGraphs, is 4.71, still bad but far less ghastly than the nearly 7 mark he put him this year. His high ERA is a function of the .350 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and career 47 percent ground-ball rate.
Blackburn is a pending free agent who could be fighting for his big-league career. But even though he may not be with the Yankees for long — Yarbrough and reliever Fernando Cruz are both nearing their returns, and Blackburn does not have minor-league options — he is appreciating his time with the Yankees.
“I think itâs a good place to start over,” Blackburn said, according to The Athletic. “Thereâs obviously talent everywhere you look, and in a really good spot for the postseason. Itâs the New York Yankees. Itâs cool.”
What Is Wrong With The Yankees Bullpen?
The Yankees bullpen was supposed to be a strength coming out of the trade deadline, but inconsistency and injury have affected that.
Despite trading for Devin Williams, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, each has each had disastrous first seasons in the Bronx — Bird is working out his issues in Triple-A. Plus, Cruz, Yarbrough and left-hander Brent Headrick each is on the injured list.
Headrick had proven adept at giving the Yankees low-leverage innings, typically when they were behind in games, before landing on the IL with a forearm bruise.
The Yankees are just trying to find the right formula, since they rank 22nd in bullpen ERA (4.23) and 21st in FIP (4.19).
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