6:36pm: Both teams have announced the trade. Tampa Bay receives cash in return.
6:15pm: Right-hander Colten Brewer, who had been in camp with the Rays on a minor league deal, will instead go to the Yankees and be added to their 40-man roster, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He had recently been reassigned to minor league camp but Topkin reports he had an assignment bonus that allowed the Yanks to acquire him. Yankees manager Aaron Boone had previously indicated the club was working on a “potential deal” and it seems this is what he was referring to.
Brewer, 30, appeared in the big leagues from 2018 to 2021, with the Padres in the first of those years but then with the Red Sox for the next three. In 91 major league innings, he has a 5.04 ERA, 20.3% strikeout rate, 13.4% walk rate and 50.4% ground ball rate. He spent last year with the Royals on a minor league deal, tossing 39 2/3 innings at Triple-A with a 4.76 ERA, striking out 24.9% of opponents, walking 10.7% and getting the ball on the ground at a 51.9% clip.
As mentioned, Brewer was in camp with the Rays on a minor league deal. He tossed 9 1/3 innings over eight appearances this spring, not allowing any earned runs while striking out 15 hitters and walking three. Despite that strong performance, he didn’t crack Tampa’s roster, as he was reassigned to minor league camp yesterday.
While the Rays weren’t willing to afford him an immediate big league job, the Yankees will plug him into the bullpen. Brewer is out of minor league option years, so he’ll have to stick on the active roster or be offered to other teams once New York officially selects his contract. He has between two and three years of service and would be eligible for arbitration for the first time next winter if he holds his roster spot all year.
The Yankees have a full 40-man roster, so they’ll need to make a corresponding move once Brewer’s acquisition is final. New York has a number of players on the injured list — Ben Rortvedt, Lou Trivino and Tommy Kahnle among them — who could be moved to the 60-day injured list if the club anticipates a notable absence.
He’s a reliever.
Not a trace…no doubt in my mind
In case nobody else recognizes, good one sir!
I’m not a believer
I’m in love.
Oooh
I’m a believer, I couldn’t leave her if I tried…
Heh heh heh heh…
HEH HEH HEHEHE HEH
I got chills from this deal.
Me too. As well as other flu-like symptoms.
Who comes off the 26 man?
Who Brewered this ^?
Not exactly the blockbuster I was hoping for.
Any blockbuster likely would have meant giving up Oswald or Oswaldo. I’d rather the Yankees see what they got first and add later down the line if need be.
Oswaldo would be lucky to bring back a mediocre reliever.
Cabrera wore the golden sombrero (KKKK) yesterday.
His OPS plus is OPS minus.
Yes, Yankees should trade both Oswaldo’s for Reynolds right now. Lord knows Reynolds doesn’t really want to be there in Pittsburgh. Who really would? Nice little AA team they got out there. Lol.
Wrong.
I’m sorry but Brewer is a very frustrating pitcher and not very good. I saw enough of his games in Boston to make that statement. Glad to see he had a great spring training but get him into a real game and watch him melt down right before your eyes. He walks too many batters in critical situations and those free passes always seems to come back and bite him. Maybe he’s figured something out with his control, but I’d be shocked if he’s still on the roster at the end of May. At least it was a cash-only deal so it’s a low risk deal from a total cost perspective but losses in April & May count just as much as losses in August & September. He can be serviceable if he’s only used in low leverage situations, but steer clear of him in 1 run games!
This is even a smaller deal than I thought. What was it Shakespeare said, “Much to do about nothing.”
Much ado about nothing
Thanks Mike. You are right.
Lol, Yankees are acquiring Red Sox castoffs:
Ryan Weber
Tyler Danish
Franchy Cordero
Colton Brewer
Jeisson Rosario
….not a Garrett Whitlock among them LOL
Much to Brew about nothing
Seems to describe most of the Yankees wheeling and dealing this year.
Figured it would be a pretty minor deal. But every year some minor deal turns out to be a boon for somebody. They aren’t usually leaving TB though ha ha.
I thought it was funny when everyone was throwing out big names like it was almost a sure thing they would acquire someone of note.
This was all they had brewing?
I guess you never know, maybe Blake sees something and he’ll have a breakthrough?
I’m a big believer in Blake but it’s hard to imagine he’s seen something the Rays missed.
Seems like They maybe saw something too, if he was in camp with them….
You’re quite right about that
They see high spin rates, a cutter/ curveball combo and think he can improve his numbers from 2019, his only full season, given the then juiced ball. He had a good spring with zero earned runs; may as well take a chance on the improvements sticking.
Hilarious how some other Yankees fans thought this was gonna be another “Roger Clemens in George Steinbrenner’s press box” mid game announcement when Boone says they were acquiring another pitcher
There’s that big acquisition Boone was promising
Could have signed my grandma. She’s good enough to drop the Twins in the first round of playoffs.
A Cold Brew sounds good about now.
Can’t be any worse than Kaleb Ort.
Two peas in a pod!
The Brewers just missed a golden opportunity.
Confusing. The Yankees are the last team that the Rays would want to help, yet all they got was cash? You’d think some teams could use an arm like that for a lower level prospect. Guess not.
Just when you thought the Franchy Cordero deal was underwhelming ….now this
At least they’re doing something
I may be mistaken, but it seems like something else has to be cooking. They’re going to send Florial somewhere, and he’s out of options so they can’t send him down. That’s why Calhoun is stashed in AAA until they can get something for Florial. Only question seems to be whether he will be packaged with someone else to bring a bigger return.
assuming he’s our new left fielder because he clearly can’t pitch
Can Mike Lupica be traded…somehow?
One can’t help but think is E florial going to be on the roster as pure depth of and as a pinch runner with the new rules only 2 throw overs and bigger bases. He has decent speed. If not maybe we can trade him for a runner… if only Tim locastro was a yankee. Oh wait
I actually peg Florial as a better overall player than Locastro. Cordero is a pretty fast baserunner but doesn’t steal much.
Yankees have one easy roster spot for brewer(IL Montas). But supposedly they like Ian Hamilton and need to roster him soon or lose him. Other options- a transaction re florial or IKF or move an IL guy like trivino, kahnle, bader rodon to 60day. Thought Ortega better player than either florial/franchy but franchy can be optioned to minors which neither florial or Ortega can be.
None of those guys you’ve mentioned need the 60-day IL except for Montas.
Yes, that’s the problem. Unless one of the guys won’t be available until late may, 60IL not option. Then to keep both brewer and Hamilton, need to open up roster spot somehow. Is a trade re florial or IKF still available. Maybe they think brewer or Hamilton will pass thru waivers.
The Franchy Cordero signing isn’t official yet. It turns out that he has one option left yet so the Yankees can stash him in AAA. If Florial can’t perform well as a fourth outfielder, he’s going to get traded and Cordero gets his shot.
As for Brewer and Hamilton, the rule 5 draft isn’t until later in the year so there is plenty of time to figure out if the Yankees want to keep either pitchers.
Nothing to do with rule 5. Brewer has to get roster spot on 40 man per his deal. Hamilton will opt out of minor league deal and be lost only he gets roster spot.
Brewer is terrible. It is hard for me to believe that a supposed favorite to win the East has to resort to the likes of Franchy Cordero and Colten Brewer.
You know it’s bad when NY is acquiring Red Sox castaways!
Makes the Montas deal look even worse. The Yankees weren’t going to lose all those pitchers to RuleV.
Colten Brewer…
Masterful thus far.
Some apologies are in order.
Do not speak of Mr. Brewer again.
Now, get out.
After seeing what has been accomplished w acquisitions like Holmes, King, Peralta, and knowing blakes pitching acumen is high, this is a situation where they see something they can tweak and make him a solid arm, if it translates. No gamble, good arm..
Division Locked!
gAmE cHaNgEr
Lou will likely get transferred to the 60. Ligament strain in elbow usually means TJS.
Colten Brewer…
Masterful thus far.
Some apologies are in order.