The Yankees announced that they have signed right-hander
Paul Blackburn, with fellow righty
Allan Winans optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as the corresponding move. The Yanks have had an open 40-man spot since
JT Brubaker was designated for assignment earlier this month.
Tim Healey of The Boston Globe first noted that Blackburn was in the Yankee clubhouse. Blackburn tells
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic that he expects to work out of the bullpen.
Blackburn has been having an injury-marred season but he is currently healthy and stretched out. About a month ago, he started a rehab assignment while on the Mets’ injured list due to a shoulder impingement. From July 22nd to August 8th, he made four rehab appearances, each lasting at least five innings. He didn’t allow more than two earned runs in any of them.
The Mets didn’t really have a rotation spot for him, so they reinstated him from the IL and put him in the bullpen. On August 13th, he tossed five innings of long relief against Atlanta, allowing two earned runs. Despite that generally solid run of results, the Mets designated Blackburn for assignment when they promoted prospect
Nolan McLean on Saturday. Blackburn then cleared release waivers, allowing him to sign this deal with the Yankees.
Since he has been released, that also means he is essentially free for the Yanks. The Mets remain on the hook for the majority of his salary. The Yankees only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for the time he spends on the roster. That amount will be subtracted from what the Mets pay.
The Yankees currently have a rotation consisting of
Max Fried,
Carlos Rodón,
Luis Gil,
Will Warren and
Cam Schlittler, so Blackburn will slide into a long relief role. Though he’s been hurt for most of 2025 and has a 6.85 earned run average, he has past major league success. From 2022 to 2024, he tossed a combined 290 1/3 innings with a 4.43 earned run average, 20.2% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 44.8% ground ball rate. As mentioned, he’s been getting decent results lately and is cheap.
Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images
