The Yankees are moving with a plan this winter. After their Giant-killing act of bringing back Aaron Judge on a $360-million deal and adding Carlos Rodon for $162 million, the Yankees also added five more free agents. This includes three pitchers and two infielders and they signed minor-league deals.
These discreet moves to build their depth provided a perfect backdrop to the Yankees’ celebration of Judge’s return and coronation as the 16th captain as well as Rodon’s official unveiling at back-to-back meets at Yankee Stadium.
Ryan Weber is a veteran right-handed pitcher, who pitched for the Yankees a few times last season. He earned a spot back on the team by giving up only one run in 10 2/3 innings and having an ERA of 0.84 over five appearances.
Wilmer Difo, a switch-hitter who plays infield and outfield and started 104 games for the Washington Nationals in 2018, is another. Since making his debut with the Nationals in 2015, Difo, who is 31, has played in the major leagues every year. He has a good job. In 492 games, he had 1,179 at-bats and hit .258. He had 19 home runs, 103 RBI, and 24 stolen bases. Last year, in three games with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he had six at-bats but no hits. In 72 games with Triple-A Reno, he hit .269 with seven home runs and 43 RBI.
The Yankees also brought in Tanner Tully, a left-handed starter, Nick Ramirez, a left-handed reliever, and Jamie Westbrook, an infielder. Except for Westbrook, all of them have played in the major leagues.
Ramirez is probably the only new player who will have a chance to make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster during spring training. Lucas Luetge was put on waivers on Wednesday, so the Yankees only have Wandy Peralta left-handed reliever on their 40-man roster. Luetge has spent the last two years in the Yankees’ bullpen. He was not on the team’s roster when spring training began in 2021.
Ramirez is 33 years old going 6-5 with a 4.55 ERA, 99 strikeouts, and 46 walks over 110 2/3 innings. His three-season MLB experience extends to 64 games as a relief pitcher for Detroit from 2019 to 2020 and for San Diego in 2021. He just had a great year pitching for the Seattle Mariners farm team in Triple-A. In 53 games, he had a 3-4 record, a 2.93 earned run average, and 16 saves. In 55 1/3 innings, he struck out 53 batters and walked 15.
Weber, who is 32, and Tully, who is 28, are both soft-throwing pitchers who will probably start next season in Triple-A. Weber was with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for most of the year 2022. He did well there, going 3-4 in 15 games, eight of which were starts, with an earned run average of 3.86.
Tully made his major league debut with the Cleveland Guardians last year. In three relief appearances, he gave up four runs over six innings. He was picked up by Cleveland in the 26th round of the 2016 draft, and he was mostly a starter for the team until this week. In 24 games with Triple-A Columbus, 20 of which he started, he went 8-6 and had an ERA of 4.72. In 122 innings, he struck out 98 batters and walked 26. His career earned run average is 4.50.
Twenty-seven-year-old Westbrook has vast minor-league experience after Arizona opted for him in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. He also went on to play for the Brewers from 2012 to 2021. In 2022, he played for Detroit’s MiLB affiliates hitting .254 with 11 home runs and 48 RBI in 123 Triple-A games. The right-handed hitter had .277 with 99 home runs and a .765 OPS in 993 MiLB games so far.
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