Yankees Reunite With Veteran Relief Pitcher on Minor League Deal

The Yankees are adding more depth to their bullpen by reuniting with a right-handed reliever on a minor league deal.

Jun 13, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Colten Brewer (54) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are adding more depth to an already formidable bullpen for the upcoming season.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported on Tuesday that the Yankees are adding relief pitcher Colten Brewer to a minor league deal. This latest bullpen move comes days after the Bronx Bombers pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire All-Star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers.

Brewer, 32, was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth round of the 2011 MLB Draft, but did not appear in a major league for them; he was later selected by the Yankees in the 2016 Rule 5 draft, but wouldn't pitch for them either. The right-handed reliever eventually made his major league debut with the San Diego Padres in 2018, with whom he went 1-0 in 9.2 innings pitched and posted a 5.59 ERA in 11 appearances.

After the 2018 season, Brewer was traded to the Boston Red Sox, with whom he pitched during the 2019 season and the COVID-shortened 2020 season. But during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he would not see any MLB action.

Brewer eventually signed a minor league deal with the Yankees for the 2023 season, but appeared in just three games; he went on to post a 4.32 ERA in 8.1 innings pitched, and struck out four batters while walking three. After his short stint in the Bronx, he pitched the rest of the year with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball, logging a 2.38 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 11.1 innings across 13 appearances.

Brewer returned to MLB in 2024, signing with the Chicago Cubs. However, he struggled immensely in the Windy City; in 16 games, he posted a 5.66 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 20.2 innings (along with just 22 strikeouts), and had his season cut short in a way he or the Cubs didn't envision.

During a bullpen appearance on July 6 against the Los Angeles Angels, Brewer allowed three runs (one earned), two hits, two walks and a hit batter, and recorded just two outs in a 7-0 loss. In frustration, the righty punched a wall in the dugout and fractured his left hand; this resulted in him being placed on the 60-day injured list, ending his season.

Brewer will now get another go-around in New York and join a bullpen that is perhaps the best in all of baseball.