After injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt, the New York Yankees are adjusting their pitching strategy as they attempt to reshape their staff. With MLB insiders like Jon Morosi downplaying Dylan Cease rumors and no solid trade talks involving Sandy Alcantara, their options for replacements are becoming limited.
The Yankees continued their cost-effective approach on Tuesday by signing former first-round pick Jake Woodford to a minor-league contract. Woodford will start the season in Triple-A but is expected to get some playing time as the team deals with a thinning pitching staff.
Woodford opted out of his minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies over the weekend and is now eager to take advantage of this new opportunity. The 28-year-old, drafted 39th overall in 2015, has a career 4.88 ERA over parts of five MLB seasons. In 2024, he struggled with a 7.97 ERA in 35 innings across stints with the White Sox and Pirates. The Yankees hope to develop him into a useful reliever, especially with injuries to Ian Hamilton, Clayton Beeter, Jake Cousins, Scott Effross, and JT Brubaker.
On Tuesday, the Yankees also signed veteran left-handed bulk reliever/starter Ryan Yarbrough to a major-league deal, intending to add him to their bullpen or use him as a spot starter. Yarbrough isn’t known for overpowering stuff but excels at limiting hard contact, finishing 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA in 44 games last season.
Both Woodford and Yarbrough are part of the Yankees’ 2025 rebound plans, with Yarbrough noting he was drawn to the Yankees because of their reputation for helping pitchers improve. “I’ve heard a lot from the pitching side and what they’ve been able to do with guys,” Yarbrough said. “That was exciting and intriguing to me, and obviously, being able to be a part of a team that has had a lot of success and expectations this year.”
On Saturday, general manager Brian Cashman stated that the team would continue to explore all opportunities leading up to Thursday’s season opener against the Brewers. “We’re definitely keeping the phone lines open, whether it’s agents calling because their players are free and released by not making other clubs or trade conversations going on with my counterparts,” he said.
