The Yankees signed right-hander Phil Bickford to a minor league deal, as introduced by the membership’s Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Jon Heyman of the New York Submit (X hyperlink) reviews that Bickford will earn $1.1MM if he makes New York’s energetic roster.
Bickford is transferring from one Large Apple borough to a different, because the Mets simply launched the right-hander final week. Bickford received an arbitration case (for a $900K wage in 2024) with the Mets in February, however as per the phrases of the CBA, going to a listening to meant that the wage wasn’t absolutely assured till Opening Day. Consequently, the Mets solely owed Bickford round $217K, representing 45 days’ price of termination pay. The $1.1MM wage linked to his minors deal could possibly be prorated based mostly on the period of time (if any) Bickford truly spends on the Yankees’ roster, but between the Yankees’ cash and the termination pay, Bickford would possibly now be in line to make greater than the $900K he was slated to obtain if he’d simply made the Mets’ energetic roster.
After making two MLB appearances with the Brewers, a commerce to the Dodgers in 2021 appeared to encourage a breakout, as Bickford posted a 2.50 ERA, 29.5% strikeout fee, and 9 % stroll fee over 50 1/3 innings out of the Los Angeles bullpen. Nevertheless, Bickford benefited from some BABIP and strand rate-related luck that 12 months, and actuality appeared to set in when he posted a 4.84 ERA in 128 1/3 innings with the Dodgers and Mets over the 2022-23 seasons. L.A. dealt him to the Mets eventually 12 months’s commerce deadline, and the Mets finally deemed Bickford expendable amongst the numerous different aid choices they acquired this previous offseason.
The Yankees are endlessly looking out for bullpen arms, and the workforce’s current means to get good outcomes from a number of unheralded or off-the-radar relievers maybe bodes nicely for Bickford’s possibilities at success if he makes the 26-man roster. For now he’ll bide his time at Triple-A as depth within the occasion of an damage, or if the Bronx Bombers shuffle up their bullpen to maneuver recent arms backwards and forwards from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.