Yankees retain depth, re-sign LHP Ryan Yarbrough

The Yankees did their pitching depth a favor on Monday when they re-signed veteran lefty Ryan Yarbrough to a one-year contract. It is a major league deal.

Injuries limited Yarbrough to only 19 games (eight starts) in 2025, but he managed to go 3-1 with a 4.33 ERA and even registered a save. Prior to the Yankees, Yarbrough had pitched for the Rays, Royals, Dodgers, and Blue Jays. He joined the Yankees right before Opening Day last season after the Blue Jays waived him at spring training’s end.

Fans should now prepare themselves for Ryan Yarbrough being in the Yankees’ rotation on Opening Day in San Francisco on March 25. Gerrit Cole will be at the tail end of his recovery from Tommy John surgery and Carlos Rodon will be rehabbing from his own elbow surgery before returning, ideally, around May. Clarke Schmidt is recovering from his second Tommy John procedure and won’t be back until after the All-Star Break, if he pitches at all.

That leaves Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and Will Warren as the only current locks for the rotation entering spring training. Maybe Luis Gil too, but his issues with walks make him a better fit in the bullpen. Even with Yarbrough back, the Yankees’ pitching depth is still seriously lacking.

But you play the hand you’re dealt, and Ryan Yarbrough fits what the Yankees need. His numbers weren’t the best, but he’s still a ground ball and soft contact specialist who sometimes looks unhittable. A good example is from June 1 last season, when the Yankees avoided getting swept by the Dodgers thanks to Yarbrough’s six innings of one-run ball. He issued no walks and struck out five, allowing just four hits.

What’s the secret sauce? Simple: a multitude of pitches that move and break all over. Yarbrough throws a mix of a cutter, changeup, sinker, and sweeper. He throws his four-seam fastball the least.

This largely depends on the rest of the Yankees’ offseason but at this point? A spot in the rotation is Yarbrough’s to lose. He could parlay this into being the main mop-up guy out of the ‘pen once everyone’s healthy. That is, if he can stay healthy himself.

This is far from the end of the Yankees’ offseason, but certainly implies that Cashman has arms on the mind.