The New York Yankees could look to bring back a familiar face to help fix their struggling bullpen.
New York’s bullpen has been an issue this season, and many Yankees fans are urging the team to bring in some help through trades or free agency. Luckily, it appears New York could bring back a familiar face to the bullpen for free.
The Minnesota Twins released veteran right-hander Matt Bowman after he triggered a clause in his contract, insider Jon Heyman revealed on X.
“Matt Bowman was given his release by Twins, likely due to 40-man issues. Bowman posted a 1.69 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 6 walks in 21.1 innings while inducing groundballs at a 54.5% rate with AAA St. Paul. MLB deal elsewhere probably awaits,” Heyman wrote.
Bowman has plenty of experience in the MLB and was dominant in Triple-A, so he should have interest from plenty of teams, but one analyst urges the Yankees to pursue him.
Yankees Urged to Bring Back Bowman
New York’s bullpen has been an issue this season; as a result, MLB analyst Chris Landers of FanSided believes the Yankees should look to sign him.
“While he doesn’t throw particularly hard (sitting in the low 90s with his sinker) or miss a ton of bats, he brings one very specific skill to the table: He induces a ton of ground balls. His 53.5% career ground-ball rate is well above the big-league average of 44.2%, and that number has been even higher at Triple-A St. Paul this season,” Landers wrote.
“That might not sound like the flashiest profile, but at this point, the Yankees don’t need flashy; they just need competent. Someone that Aaron Boone can hand the ball to in innings five through seven and be confident that he can get outs consistently.”
The Yankees’ bullpen has been a revolving door, so Landers believes Bowman is worth a flier to see if he can continue the success in Triple-A in the MLB.
“Bowman can throw strikes, keep the ball on the ground, and at least raise the floor a bit to prevent guys like Tim Hill and Brent Headrick from being worked into the ground before we even get to the All-Star break. At this point, it’s safe to assume that big changes are coming to the Yankee bullpen at the trade deadline,” Landers added.
Bowman made his MLB debut in 2016 with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016 and pitched for the Yankees in 2023, appearing in three games. He struggled mightily as he allowed 4 runs in 4 innings for a 9.00 ERA.
Overall, in his MLB career, Bowman is 8-14 with a 4.38 ERA and has seven years of big league experience.
New York’s Bullpen is an Issue
The Yankees have one of the top teams in baseball, but the bullpen has been a major issue.
New York’s bullpen was an issue last year, and once again, it’s a problem, outside of the three or four high-leverage relievers.
However, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had plenty of praise for the bullpen.
“I think they’re just better than everyone thinks,” Boone said.
Since that comment on May 5, the Yankees’ bullpen has been charged with 4 losses and a blown save.
Yankees Urged to Bring Back Recently Released 7-Year MLB Reliever