Yankees call back Greg Weissert, remove Colten Brewer; Cordero set for sustained success

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The Yankees needed a new pitcher after Jhony Brito faced a record firs-inning debacle in his third start. This led them to make several roster alterations ahead of the weekend. On Friday, the organization announced that they had DFA’d Colton Brewer and recalled Greg Weissert from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Brewer sent to AAA

Colten Brewer pitched 3.1 innings for the Yankees against the Twins, followed by Ian Hamilton‘s three innings and before utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa pitched a scoreless ninth.

Since the Yankees got him back on April 1, Brewer has pitched 8.1 innings with a 4.32 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. Because of Brito’s poor performance, the Yankees might lose him on waivers.

In the 11-2 defeat against the Twins, the Yankees cycled through four pitchers and a position player on the mound. The Minnesota Twins got to Yankees starter Jhony Brito early, and he only lasted 0.2 innings, forcing the club to go for relief pitchers.

Brewer was one of the pitchers brought in to help clean up the mess after Thursday’s game. He pitched 3.1 innings, far longer than Brito, but gave up four runs. His future with the club is dependent on his ability to pass waivers.

Weissert called back

When the Yankees needed a pitcher with a fresh arm, they called up Greg Weissert from Triple-A. Brewer, who had no more options, was sent away to make room on the team’s roster.

Weissert was one of the last players cut by the Yankees at Spring Training. Since Weissert had other options, New York sent him down to make room for Hamilton.

This season, Weissert has only given up one run in 5.1 innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Weissert made his Yankees debut last season. In 12 games, he pitched 11.1 innings with an ERA of 5.56, a FIP of 4.17, and a WHIP of 0.971.

The Yankees’ bullpen hopes that adding Weissert won’t mean losing Brewer on waivers. He has seven strikeouts, an ERA of 1.69, and a WHIP of 0.38 in the spring. The Yankees will want him to eat up some innings so that some of the relievers can get some much-needed rest.

The Yankees didn’t give Brito an option because they need a fifth starter and he wouldn’t be able to come back until April 28.

Fans not convinced

Some fans of the New York Yankees don’t like the choice. They think that the team put Brewer in a bad position when they put him in with seven runs down in the first inning. Brewer didn’t have much time to get comfortable before being thrown to the wolves.

Yankees see Cordero as a long-term option

Many fear that the Yankees’ surprise slugger will cool down drastically, returning to the habits that have previously prevented him from achieving prolonged success in the major leagues. But the Bombers don’t agree.

Thus far in 2023, Franchy Cordero’s exit velocity has been exceptional with consistent hard contact. He’s barreling the ball up considerably more than in the past, and he’s pulling pitches at a much greater rate. When a player has been as significant as Cordero has been through the first two weeks of the regular season, it’s tough not to wonder how long the asset can keep this up.

“A guy’s track or development isn’t always just linear,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “There are things to figure out and learn and develop and fail. The one thing about Franchy is he’s got a lot of ability, and it’s been really fun to watch him have a level of success here and really get some big hits for us in some big wins.”

So far in 2023, Cordero has hit four home runs and led his team with 11 RBI in just eight games. The Yankees’ latest discovery has a 1.014 OPS so far this year, even though he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts on Thursday night. When he signed with the Yankees a day before Opening Day last month, it was clear that he had a lot of power. Since then, he’s become the second version of Matt Carpenter.

When asked if he thinks Cordero can keep hitting like this, Boone didn’t say it couldn’t happen.

“When you have talent like that, yeah,” Boone said. “The light goes on at different times in people’s careers. You certainly never know. And again, it is a small sample. But the talent is real. So sure, it’s possible.”

Cordero will only be able to stay on this team if he keeps doing well. The 28-year-old was brought in at first to give the outfield a little more depth while Harrison Bader healed from an oblique strain.

Cordero should have a spot on this team when Bader comes back, as of right now. In the first four series of the year, the slugger has been one of the most dangerous parts of a high-octane lineup, destroying right-handed pitching. He also has a lot of time to show what he’s really like and show that he’s expendable, which would keep veterans like Aaron Hicks and Isiah Kiner-Falefa from being sent somewhere.

Boone said that Cordero has formed a very nice chemistry with the Yankees’ hitting coaches in his short time with the organization, refining his swing choices while putting in the required effort behind the scenes. So far, it’s been a fantastic fit.

“I think the guys have embraced him and him them,” Boone said. “I think our guys do a really good job of creating an environment where guys can come in and feel comfortable and I think that’s hopefully contributed to some of the early success he’s had here.”

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