Sports
Yankees Cut González, Demote Marinaccio, Bring Up Bickford And Gómez In Bullpen Revamp
NEW YORK — After losing consecutive series to AL East rivals Boston and Baltimore, the Yankees rearranged their bullpen, promoting right-handers Phil Bickford and Yoendrys Gómez, releasing left-hander Victor González, and demoting right-hander Ron Marinaccio.
New York’s bullpen pitched 7 2/3 innings in Thursday’s 17-5 loss to the Orioles and six innings in Wednesday’s 7-6 loss. The Yankees’ pitching staff entered Friday’s series opener against Atlanta with a 4.59 ERA in June, up from a major league-best 2.37 in May.
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Yankees Cut González, Demote Marinaccio, Bring Up Bickford And Gómez In Bullpen Revamp
“A major factor was the numbers game. “We’ve relied heavily on the bullpen the last two days, so we needed some coverage down there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “And talk about certain things to shake up and pay attention.”
Gleyber Torres, second baseman, was out of the starting lineup after departing Thursday’s game with right groin stiffness. Boone stated that an MRI was negative, and Torres would most likely be available over the weekend.
González was acquired by the New York Mets in December from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for second base prospect Jorbit Vivas and shortstop Trey Sweeney, the 20th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft. González, 28, had a 3.68 ERA in 27 bullpen appearances, giving up 13 hits in 23 1/3 innings while walking 13 and striking out 11.
“That was difficult because I’d appreciated Vic. I respect him. “He’s had some success in the league,” Boone stated. “Hard getting him into a good role here, but 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’re probably going to have to address.”
Yankees Cut González, Demote Marinaccio, Bring Up Bickford And Gómez In Bullpen Revamp
Marinaccio, 28, was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 13, demoted on May 10, then recalled on June 9. During his most recent big league appearance, he allowed five runs, four of which were earned, seven hits, and four walks over 6 1/3 innings.
Boone said Marinaccio handled the demotion “like a pro, but he’s not thrilled about it, obviously.”
Bickford, 28, was dismissed by the New York Mets in the final week of spring training and was paid $217,742 in termination money rather than the $900,000 salary he received as part of a non-guaranteed deal in salary arbitration. He signed a minor league contract with the Yankees and went 2-2 with a 2.94 ERA in 22 relief appearances for Scranton, striking out 35 and walking 12 over 27 2/3 innings.
His contract with the Yankees calls for a $1.1 million salary in the majors and $180,000 in the minors.
“Tough on the right guy,” Boone added. “He’ll give you some length.”
Yankees Cut González, Demote Marinaccio, Bring Up Bickford And Gómez In Bullpen Revamp
Gómez, 24, went 2-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 starts for the RailRiders, striking out 54 and walking 26 over 46 innings. He made his major league debut in September and has appeared in one game this season, striking out the side in the ninth inning of an 8-0 victory over San Diego on May 24.
“The couple of opportunities he has gotten up here, he’s done a nice job,” Boone stated. “He has a lot of talent. He’s still inexperienced and has had some injuries in his brief career.
SOURCE – (AP)
