Yankees DFA Victor Gonzalez to add Phil Bickford in bullpen shakeup
The Yankees of recent years have specialized in identifying and maximizing bullpen pieces, turning castoffs such as Clay Holmes and Ian Hamilton into major contributors.
Those kinds of finds have been harder to come by this season, during which the bullpen has become a surprising and worsening weakness, which, in part, led to a startling couple of days spent reshaping the unit.
After two days of brevity from the rotation — Gerrit Cole lasted four innings Wednesday before Luis Gil recorded just four outs Thursday — the Yankees shook up the relief corps and cut ties with a lefty who entered the season as an arm to lean upon.
Victor Gonzalez was designated for assignment before the Yankees lost, 8-1, to the Braves in The Bronx on Friday.
A club that needed length — as it turned out, immediately — brought up Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Yoendrys Gomez to replace Gonzalez, and swapped Ron Marinaccio (who was optioned after Thursday’s loss) for previously unrostered righty Phil Bickford, a former Met who had performed well with SWB.
Gomez helped quickly, relieving Carlos Rodon, who lasted just 3 ²/₃ innings, by throwing 4 ²/₃ scoreless innings.
“It was big,” manager Aaron Boone said of Gomez, “and excited for him to go out there and get some run out there, for some length and actually really pitch well.
“Thought he mixed it up really well. Gives you different looks with the cutter, breaking balls, changeups, commanded his heater pretty well.”
Giving up on Gonzalez — a 28-year-old who arrived from the Dodgers with infield prospect Jorbit Vivas in exchange for another solid infield prospect in Trey Sweeney — was eye-opening.
“That was tough because I’ve really enjoyed Vic. I respect him,” Boone said of a veteran pitcher who owned a 3.86 ERA but walked 13 in 23 ¹/₃⅓ innings. “He’s had some success in the league. It was hard getting him into a good role here.
“Definitely had some struggles with the strike-throwing and not putting guys away a little bit, and just felt like this was something over the long haul that we were probably going to have to address.”
Gonzalez struck out just 4.24 per nine innings, consistently struggling to miss bats in a unit that has had the same problem.
The Yankees entered play with a bullpen that ranked 20th (8.40 per nine) in strikeouts, a category the group typically dominates. Their inability to put hitters away probably played a role in winning just one of six extra-inning games, when the ghost runner places even more of an emphasis on recording outs without balls being put in play.
But the Yankees’ bullpen issues had been bigger than generating whiffs. After a mostly solid first couple of months, the unit entered play with a June ERA of 5.17. (The only teams worse: the White Sox, Angels and Rockies.)
Both ineffectiveness and injuries have struck, with Holmes having a rough month, Hamilton struggling before he was shuffled to the IL with a lat strain, and Marinaccio, Tommy Kahnle and Caleb Ferguson getting hit hard. The only relievers who had been trustworthy were Luke Weaver and Michael Tonkin.
“A handful of guys trying to get going and trying to get that consistency going a little bit,” Boone said of the group. “But really, today’s moves were about just the last couple of days, really leaning on our pen and needing the coverage.”
The need has led to vastly different personnel from even a few days ago. In addition to Gomez and Bickford, veteran lefty Tim Hill was signed Thursday when the Yankees DFA’d another lefty, Clayton Andrews.
Gomez and Bickford can take down multiple innings and, the club hopes, offer a better chance at missing bats. Gomez started 12 games in Triple-A and posted a 3.13 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 46 innings.
Bickford, a 28-year-old who finished last year strong with the Mets before becoming a late cut of their spring camp, held a 2.93 ERA with SWB and struck out 35 over 27 ²/₃ innings.
“Tough right-on-right guy,” Boone said. “Throwing the ball well down there. He can give you one-plus innings … and hopefully help us out.”
Looming are a couple of options in Scott Effross (back surgery) and JT Brubaker (Tommy John surgery), who have begun rehab assignments and could help within the next few weeks. Nick Burdi (right hip inflammation) is a bit further away. Perhaps Gil becomes a bullpen option eventually if the Yankees grow concerned about his workload.
But it is growing more probable that the Yankees are especially busy around the trade deadline this season.
