April 7: The Yanks made it official today, announcing that Ottavino has been re-signed and added to the active roster.
April 6: The Yankees announced this evening that Ottavino has cleared waivers and elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the minor leagues. SNY’s Andy Martino reported shortly thereafter that the Yankees are re-signing Ottavino. It’s unclear if it’s a major or minor league deal, but either way it appears the that the veteran will be joining the club in Detroit for tomorrow’s game against the Tigers. Southpaw Brent Headrick was optioned to the minors this evening, meaning no corresponding move will be necessary to bring Ottavino back into the fold as the 40-man roster spot created by Ottavino’s own departure has not yet been filled.
April 4: The Yankees announced this morning that they have designated right-hander Adam Ottavino for assignment. The move opens up a roster spot for closer Devin Williams, who is returning from the paternity list.
Ottavino, 39, is in his 15th season as a big league player. The veteran made his big league debut in St. Louis with 22 1/3 innings of work back in 2010 but didn’t stick consistently in the majors until 2012 as a member of the Rockies bullpen. Ottavino made a name for himself across seven seasons in Colorado as a rare pitcher who was able to post consistently above-average results despite calling Coors Field home, with a 3.41 ERA (136 ERA+) and a nearly matching 3.42 FIP across 390 2/3 innings of work in a Rockies uniform.
Since the start of the 2019 season, however, Ottavino has pitched on the east coast. The right-hander signed with the Yankees on a three-year deal in January of 2019, and in 73 appearances for the club that year he immediately made good on the deal with a sterling 1.90 ERA and a 31.1% strikeout rate. Things took a turn for the worse during the shortened 2020 season, however, as Ottavino struggled to the first below-average ERA of his career since arriving in Colorado and ultimately had his salary dumped to the Red Sox ahead of the final year of his deal. That year saw him bounce back somewhat, though his 4.21 ERA (112 ERA+) and 3.96 FIP were still that of a solid middle reliever rather than a quality set-up man.
The right-hander returned to New York in 2022, though this time he pitched in Queens rather than the Bronx. He ultimately spent three seasons with the Mets, posting a solid 3.14 ERA (128 ERA+) with a 3.66 FIP during that time. His effectiveness began to decline over the course of that time as he entered his late 30s, however, and his 3.75 ERA (111 ERA+) and 4.11 FIP in 117 2/3 innings over the past two years were far more pedestrian. After putting up a below-average 91 ERA+ in his final year with the Mets, Ottavino was unable to find a big league guarantee on the open market this winter. He pitched for the Red Sox in Spring Training this year, but was lit up to the tune of six runs in five innings of work.
Ultimately, the veteran did not make Boston’s Opening Day roster and was granted his release. That gave him the opportunity to sign with the Yankees earlier this week, though he ended up making just two appearances during this second stint in the Bronx. Overall, he threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the Yankees during his brief return to the club, with zero hits allowed and two strikeouts against two walks. Going forward, the Yankees will have one week to either work out a trade involving Ottavino or try to pass him through waivers. If he goes through waivers unclaimed, the Yankees could attempt to outright him to the minors but Ottavino has more than enough service time to reject that assignment in favor of free agency should he so choose.
Ottavino’s departure makes way for the return of Williams, who the club acquired from the Brewers in exchange for Caleb Durbin and Nestor Cortes over the offseason. The NL Rookie of the Year in 2020 and a two-time All-Star, Williams has made a name for himself as one of the best closers in the game after posting a 1.83 ERA and 2.39 FIP in 235 2/3 innings of work for the Brewers over the years. The start to his Yankees career began inauspiciously with a run allowed in his first outing, but there’s little doubt that the righty will be able to get things back on track now that he’s back with the club.
