It is understandable that the New York Yankees, entering the 2026 MLB season, would not want to make a substantial investment in a pitcher, not when they have the level of talent they have in tow on the injured list. The expectation is that Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt will be back on the mound as close to the All-Star break as possible, but if the last couple of years have taught us some things about pitching in the Bronx, it’s that injuries come in bunches and you’d better have depth.
When it comes to depth, the Yankees made a choice to bring back Paul Blackburn, who made just eight appearances for them last year after he was released by the Mets and signed as an innings-chewer for the stretch run. Blackburn made eight mostly mop-up relief appearances, finishing with a 5.28 ERA for the Yankees in 15.1 innings.
It is only a $2 million contract for the Yankees, a relative drop in the team’s $330 million bucket, but it is also a roster spot for a guy who is likely to be called on as a starter in the first three months of the year as the Yankees hope to get healthy.
Paul Blackburn Role Shows Lack of Pitching Depth
For New York Post writer Joel Sherman, the re-signing of Blackburn was the worst move the Yankees have made this offseason. Not because Blackburn allows too much contact and too much contact for power (he does) and not because of the price tag. Blackburn was called the worst signing of the offseason because he represents the Yankees’ lack of preparedness in the rotation to start the season.
Cole and Rodon are due back from elbow surgeries well before the All-Star break. Schmidt is likely to come back after the break. But, again, anything can go wrong in these rehabs and it is far-fetched to assume all three will be back at 100% by the end of August.
As Sherman put it: “This is not so much about Blackburn as an overall concern about the Yankees’ pitching depth.
“Blackburn doesn’t (have minor-league options left). He feels like a space filler who will be sacrificed if the Yankees ever get healthy. And I think the Yankees needed more than a space filler. It feels as if they are at least one arm short somewhere in the rotation or the bullpen, and it needed to be better than Blackburn.”
Ryan Weathers, New York Yankees Getty
Yankees Rotation Set, But Thin
The Yankees did bring in Ryan Weathers via a trade, and if he can manage to stay healthy, at least for half the season, he could be worth the layout–he is 7-8 with a 3.74 ERA over the past two years, despite being injury-prone and working through a lat strain and a finger problem.
The Yankees will still have Max Fried atop the rotation, with Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren and Weathers, in some order. But there will be early-season injuries, double-headers and weather issues, and the Yankees certainly will need a sixth starter. That’s Blackburn for now.
As the Yankees saw, Paul Blackburn has been no great shakes as a relief pitcher in his MLB career (7.49 ERA in 15 appearances), but as a starter he has not been reliable, either, at 22-30 with a 4.77 ERA and a .777 OPS allowed. He has only started 20 games twice in his nine-year career, and hasn’t done it since he was with the A’s in 2023.
Yankees $2 Million Move Tabbed ‘Worst’ of Offseason