Rosenthal: After leaving the Blue Jays, Ryan Yarbrough is thriving with the Yankees

New York Times

a day ago

Right-hander Jacob Barnes and lefty Richard Lovelady are best described as journeymen. Most baseball fans would not even recognize their names. Yet, those are the two pitchers the Toronto Blue Jays chose over left-hander Ryan Yarbrough for their Opening Day roster, only to designate both for assignment less than a month later.
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Yarbrough, after declining a revised offer from the Jays, opted out of his minor-league contract, became a free agent and signed with the New York Yankees. He started out in the Yankees' bullpen, then joined their injury-depleted rotation in early May and produced a stunning 2.08 ERA in his first five starts before faltering Saturday against the Boston Red Sox.
As the Jays await the return of righty Max Scherzer and ponder the regression of righty Bowden Francis, they can only wonder how Yarbrough, a pitcher who was firmly under their control, might have fit.
The Jays, winners of 12 of their last 14 games and holding the top wild-card position in the American League, are not exactly suffering. Lefty Eric Lauer, signed to a minor-league deal in December, is proving a reasonable facsimile of Yarbrough. If Scherzer makes a successful return from his right thumb injury by the end of June, the team's decision on Yarbrough at the end of March might prove little more than a footnote.
Yarbrough is the kind of pitcher who is easy to overlook. His fastball is among the slowest in the majors, averaging just 87.5 mph. Yet Erik Neander, his former president of baseball operations with the Tampa Bay Rays, describes him as 'absolutely fearless, incredibly savvy and somebody who gets the absolute most out of their abilities.'
'How do you know someone has special makeup?' Neander asked with a chuckle. 'They're getting guys out in the big leagues throwing 86 mph.'
The Blue Jays, after acquiring Yarbrough on July 30 from the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and cash, came to understand what makes the pitcher unique. They re-signed him Feb. 21, and after he triggered his opt-out clause in late March, they had the ability to keep him by adding him to their major-league roster.
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The Jays were willing to do that — with a catch. They asked Yarbrough to sign an advance-consent clause, allowing them to release him within the first 45 days of the regular season and terminate the rest of his $2 million guarantee. The Yankees, Yarbrough said, made him the same offer, but with a different incentive structure.
Yarbrough was willing to accept that deal from the Yankees, a team he admired from afar for its ability to get the most out of pitchers. He wasn't willing to accept it from the Jays, for whom he had a 2.01 ERA in 31 1/3 innings after the trade, pitching in a variety of roles out of the bullpen.
'I had been there the last couple of months, showed them everything I bring to the table, especially the versatility,' Yarbrough said. 'Everyone from the team and staff seemed to love me. So I feel like there wasn't necessarily a reason to (accept an advance-consent clause), just from what I've already shown them. Whereas with a new organization, I have no problem with getting them to know me, seeing what I bring to a team.'
Yarbrough, who has been traded three times, was hardly unfamiliar with how the game works. But knowing how well he fit with the Jays, he viewed their decision as the business of baseball to an extreme. He was curious how the Yankees viewed him, excited to hear their ideas, eager to learn and improve.
The Yankees had always liked Yarbrough, who in 57 1/3 career innings against them held them to a .558 OPS and posted a 2.04 ERA. Like the Jays, they pursued Yarbrough as a non-roster invite to spring training. But entering the spring, their pitching staff was healthy and deep, the opportunity for non-roster pitchers limited.
All of that changed as the Yankees' injuries mounted during Grapefruit League play — Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt in the rotation, Jake Cousins, Scott Effross, JT Brubaker and Clayton Beeter in the bullpen, as well as Jonathan Loaisiga coming off surgery.
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When Yarbrough became a free agent March 23, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman immediately contacted the pitcher's agent, Victor Menocal of Excel. The next day, Yarbrough was a Yankee.
'We knew he was a strike thrower, knew he wasn't afraid and he could give us protection and length,' Cashman said. 'Obviously, what he has turned into is a helluva lot more than that.'
Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins noted that at the time the Jays had a healthy five-man rotation. Yarbrough, though, had a better spring than Barnes and Lovelady, neither of whom currently is pitching in the majors.
The Jays could have used Yarbrough the same way they did last season, as an all-purpose reliever. Their pitching depth has been an issue all season. May 5, they signed right-handers Jose Urena and Spencer Turnbull to major-league contracts. Urena was designated for assignment May 31. Turnbull made his first appearance Wednesday.
'In fairness to them, this is one of those where you run into something, and you get a lot more than you expected,' Cashman said. 'The proof is in the pudding. I did a major-league deal and demanded a 45-day consent.
'At times, you've got to be good. At times, you've got to be lucky. This would fall more into that lucky category. He's just been exceptional.'
The Yankees had the same 'luck' with another relatively unheralded pitcher, righty Luke Weaver, whom they claimed off waivers from the Seattle Mariners in September 2023. Weaver made three impressive starts for them at the end of that season, then emerged as one of the game's top relievers in 2024.
Initially after acquiring Weaver, the Yankees eliminated his slider, reduced his curveball usage and increased his cutter usage. The biggest change they helped him with was a change in his fastball grip.
With Yarbrough, the adjustments were less dramatic.
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'We've seen him a lot over the years with Tampa Bay. We've always just felt befuddled by him. How is this guy getting us out?' Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said. 'You see just the level of execution he has, the funky angles, the good understanding of what he's doing out there. That's what we've seen as well.'
Blake said the Yankees spoke with Yarbrough about his game plan, offering ideas on how to use and locate his cutter and sweeper. Yarbrough's most frequently used pitch last season was his sinker at 29.6 percent. He threw only 9.9 percent cutters.
This season he is employing a more balanced repertoire, throwing 25.3 percent cutters, 22 percent sinkers, 21.3 percent sweepers, 20.4 percent changeups and 10.9 percent four-seamers.
'We've kind of fine-tuned some pitches, stuff like that. Nothing crazy like grip changes,' Yarbrough said. 'Just understanding how to make (the pitches) better, more consistent.
'Then it was just a matter of game planning, how we can use the whole arsenal, especially for me where I can fill the zone up with different pitches. So I don't get too — not predictable — but just so they can't sit on one certain pitch. There are multiple options.'
Yarbrough allowed eight runs in four innings against the Red Sox on Saturday night at Yankee Stadium and faces them again Friday night at Fenway Park. His challenge will be significant. His career ERA in 77 2/3 innings against the Red Sox is 7.65.
But in his eighth major-league season, Yarbrough remains undaunted, pitching with his usual moxie. He proved his point to the Blue Jays. He survived his 45-day trial with the Yankees. He made the right call going from one AL East club to another.
'I feel like I've continued to grow as a player and pitcher,' Yarbrough said. 'I'm happy how it all worked out.'