Depth is something the Yankees need, especially since they are seriously injury prone. It's exciting to see young players work hard and make the Yankee roster. And pitching is so critical, particularly with Gerrit Cole likely out until May or June. The Yankees have some new faces in the bullpen. Let's learn something about them.
"Nick Burdi learned yesterday that he would indeed start the year with New York after entering camp as a non-roster invitee. You will be hard-pressed to find a pitcher with a more unfortunate injury history than the 31-year-old who has not been able to pitch past more than a few months of a season since making his MLB debut with Pittsburgh in late 2018. Burdi’s journey has been punctuated by two Tommy John surgeries: the first in 2017 while with the Twins organization, and the second in 2020 with the Pirates," reported SB Nation. Now the injury record is concerning but what I like about him is his resilience.
According to the New York Post, "Burdi changed his arm slot to try to alleviate what was causing the injuries and said after his outing Sunday how remarkable it is not to be in pain after every outing and to recover well." So, hopefully he will add value to this team who might be short on starting pitching depth.
“I feel like at some point, the tides are gonna turn and the health is gonna be there,” Burdi told the New York Post. To be in this locker room, some of the guys I played with last year, we had a saying, ‘We have a jersey, we got a chance.’ To me, if someone’s gonna give me a chance, I want to make the most of it and run with the opportunity.”
Next up is Clayton Beeter who came to the Yankees as part of the deal that sent Joey Gallo out to west. I have really liked what I have seen of Beeter in the minors and this spring but according to CBS Sports, "Beeter has yet to appear in a major-league game, having collected a 3.62 ERA and 165:75 K:BB over 131.2 innings between Double-A Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2023."
Honestly, major league baseball experience is something you earn, and he will get there, with the right opportunities. He offers long reliever depth, spending most of his time on the hill as a starter. With Luis Gil earning the last starting pitching slot, Beeter will find a home in the bullpen and provide hard throwing depth to the Yankees.
So new baby bomber pitchers will be in Houston on Thursday, with more baby bomber position players still to be selected. Those decisions are pending as Aaron Boone gets ready to take the reins of a new season. Let's hope he doesn't botch up again this year.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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