Yankees Agree to 3-Year Deal With Adam Ottavino

The New York Yankees and free agent reliever Adam Ottavino have agreed to a three-year deal worth $27 million. Ottavino will bolster an already dominant Yankees bullpen, joining the likes of Dellin Betances, Aroldis Chapman and Zach Britton. Last year the Yanks relievers combined for the fourth-best bullpen ERA in baseball and the second-highest strikeout total.

Adam Ottavino

Ottavino was one of the best set-up men in baseball last season, in what was a breakout campaign for him. The big right-hander had a few decent seasons previous to 2018, 2013 being his best, but due to injuries and consistency issues, he was never viewed as a shutdown pitcher. His performance with the Rockies this past year changed all of that though. He held opposing hitters to a .158 average, posted a 2.43 ERA, 2.74 FIP, 0.991 WHIP and struck out 112 over 77.2 innings.

How it Helps the Yankees

The Yankees clearly believe he’s finally figured it out for good. Ottavino will slot into their bullpen nicely, with more help than he ever had in Colorado. His devastating slider will wreak havoc on both left and right-handed American League hitters alike.

Ultimately the goal for the Bombers is to catch the Red Sox. Adding Ottavino is a big step towards achieving that goal. While they’ve lost Joe Kelly and are in danger of losing Craig Kimbrell, the Yankees bullpen is only getting stronger. They’re already coming off the first ever season in which a bullpen struck out more than 30 percent of the batters they faced. With relievers being as important as they are in today’s game, especially in the postseason, the Yanks will definitely have an edge on the Sox late in games.

Featured Image by Justin Edmonds of Getty Images

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