MLB Report: Yankees, Lefty Hurler ‘Closing In’ On New Deal
He's reportedly headed back to the Bronx.
The New York Yankees aren’t wasting much time when it comes to building some pitching staff depth this offseason. GM Brian Cashman picked up Tim Hill’s option earlier in November, and now Cashman is reportedly close to re-signing lefty pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, per FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray
Yarbrough, 33, was with the Yankees last season in a hybrid starter/reliever role. He tallied a 4.36 ERA in 19 games (eight starts) after New York scooped him up before the season following his release from the Toronto Blue Jays. The journeyman has also pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, and and Tampa Bay Rays in his MLB career. He was originally a fourth-round pick of the Seattle Mariners.
Yarbrough gives the Yankees’ staff some nice flexibility as they enter the 2026 season without Carlos Rodón (elbow) and Gerrit Cole (Tommy John). Yarbrough can start games for the Yanks until Rodón and Cole come back, and then he can move into a bullpen role.
Yarbrough has a 56-41 career record, with an ERA of 4.22 and 654 strikeouts. The Yankees still might be looking to add a bigger-name starting pitcher to the mix, but Yarbrough was definitely a wise move.
“Yarbrough was a solid fill-in for a battered #Yankees rotation last year,” New York Daily News‘ Gary Phillips wrote. “If needed, he can switch to long relief or be a weapon against lefties as other starters return from injury.”
