Breaking News: The Yankees make a bold decision on which pitcher to trade for the former $10 million star.
A crucial choice about one of their starting pitchers has been made by the New York Yankees. No, they haven’t yet dealt Marcus Stroman, an unhappy veteran. In 2022, the Dodgers acquired pitching prospect Clayton Beeter from the Yankees in exchange for struggling outfielder Joey Gallo and his $10 million salary. Beeter, a 2020 second-round selection from Texas Tech, was mostly a starter for the Yankees throughout his first three seasons. But Beeter is now a full-time reliever, Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake told the New York Post this week.
“As we got through last year, [Beeter’s] fastball-slider mix is super powerful and is best suited for relief,” Blake stated. “We decided to lean into the swing-and-miss of the fastball at the top of the zone and the slider at the bottom,” said Blake. “We thought it might even play up in short bursts.”
Last year, the 26-year-old Beeter left the Yankees. He struck out five batters in 3.2 innings while recording a 4.91 ERA in three major league appearances. Regretfully, Beeter’s minor-league play was restricted due to a shoulder injury last season. Beeter pitched in 10 games (seven starts) in Triple-A, going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA. Beeter gave up 21 walks in 36 innings despite striking out 51 batters.
Prospects for starting pitching have been successfully moved to the bullpen by the Yankees. Despite having trouble starting, Dellin Betances was selected as a four-time All-Star setup man. Chad Green worked best as a reliever of all tasks.
It could be a while until Beeter takes the mound, but we’ll see whether he’s next. Aaron Boone, the manager of the Yankees, recently informed media that Beeter is dealing with yet another shoulder injury. Beeter will probably start playing in the minor leagues in 2025 and still has two minor league choices. Given his recent shoulder issue, it is uncertain if Beeter will start the season on the disabled list.
