Assuming the deal makes it to the finish line, the offseason will be a much different experience than Yarbrough last year, when he remained on the market until February before reaching the Blue Jays on a minor league deal. He opted out of that deal just before Opening Day, which earned him a Major League contract with the Yankees for the 2025 season. It was a good enough year for the left-hander in the Bronx, as he pitched to a 4.36 ERA over 64 innings of work across eight starts and 11 relief appearances.
That’s about league-average production (94 ERA+) on the surface, and more advanced stats are somewhat of a mixed bag, but generally support that sentiment. His FIP of 5.06 is well below par, but a lot of that has to do with a home run percentage that is too high. Yarbrough allowed 13 home runs in just 64 innings of work, despite a completely manageable 6.9% barrel rate that was largely in line with his career standards. Yarbrough’s work in New York saw him reach a career-high strikeout rate (20.8%) and saw him limit walks to a decent 7.2% clip. His 4.14 SIERA clocks in around the league average, as does his 4.30 xFIP.
Although the details of the contract are not yet clear, an extension for another year certainly seems to make sense for both parties. Signing this early in the offseason gives Yarbrough a level of security he didn’t get last year, while allowing the Yankees to build some depth into their rotation mix that will certainly prove valuable heading into 2026. While the Yankees have a deep pool of starting options with Gerrit Kool expected back from Tommy John surgery plus early next year Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Will Warren And Cam Schlittlerit’s not hard to see why the team could use some extra depth.
Neither Cole nor Rodon will be ready for Opening Day Clarke Schmidt This is unlikely to come into play until late in the year after his own Tommy John surgery. Gil appears healthy, but has a long injury history, which also means relying on him for 30 starts could be a stretch. With so much uncertainty among that group, the addition of Yarbrough provides a solid veteran who can provide roughly average production in filling those holes. Yarbrough is more than comfortable between the rotation and the bullpen, having done so for virtually his entire career, and having him available as a long relief arm could be valuable to a bullpen that thinks it’s looking for some relief in the innings after a loss. Devin Williams And Lucas Weaver.
Whatever the cost of Yarbrough’s contract, it shouldn’t hinder the Yankees in filling out the rest of their roster. The club has a lot of work to do this winter as they need to be replaced Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Paul GoudschmidtAnd Amed Rosario (along with Williams and Weaver) as they head to free agency, on top of any other upgrades the club would like to make to its roster. Given Schmidt’s injury, the addition of another starter might even be on the table if the team wants some young pitching to dangle in trade talks or have the luxury of being patient with Cole as he prepares his elbow for next year’s game.
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