The Yankees are bringing back right-hander Paul Blackburn on a one-year deal worth $2 million, with the potential to earn another $500,000 through performance incentives. It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward move for a team looking to shore up its pitching depth heading into 2026.
Blackburn’s journey to the Bronx has been anything but smooth. After a midseason release from the Mets in August, he found a second life in pinstripes.
While his overall numbers with the Yankees - a 5.28 ERA over eight appearances - don’t jump off the page, the story is more nuanced than that. His debut was a disaster, giving up seven earned runs in just 3 1/3 innings.
But to his credit, he regrouped. Over his next 12 innings out of the bullpen, he allowed just two earned runs and struck out more than a batter per inning.
That kind of resilience, especially in a high-pressure market like New York, doesn’t go unnoticed.
This is a pitcher who has spent most of his big-league career as a back-end starter, logging seven seasons with the Oakland A’s. He was never flashy, but he gave them innings - and occasionally flashed above-average stuff.
The Mets took a flyer on him at the 2024 trade deadline, but things didn’t click. He struggled through five starts to finish that season, and health issues piled up.
A combination of spine, knee, and shoulder injuries limited him in 2025. He didn’t pitch until June and then missed another six weeks midseason.
His first outing was promising - five scoreless frames - but the next five were rocky, with at least three runs allowed in each.
With the Yankees, Blackburn found a different role - strictly out of the bullpen - and perhaps a new path forward. But the structure of this deal leaves the door open for more.
The incentives are telling: $100,000 bonuses at 80 innings, and another $100,000 for every 10-inning milestone up to 120. That’s not the kind of clause you throw into a deal unless there’s at least a chance the player could be stretched out.
And let’s face it - the Yankees’ rotation depth chart isn’t set in stone. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler are locked in up top, but beyond that, it’s a bit of a patchwork.
Luis Gil, Will Warren, and Ryan Yarbrough are next in line, but none are guaranteed to hold down a spot all year. Injuries are already a factor, with Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Clarke Schmidt all rehabbing.
If Blackburn can stay healthy and string together some quality innings, there’s a real path for him to contribute more than just mop-up duty.
At 32, Blackburn isn’t a long-term answer. But for a Yankees team that’s had its share of rotation instability, he’s a veteran arm who knows how to battle - and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need to get through 162 games.