Yankees Take Chance on Ex-Mets Reliever With Bullpen Ailing

The Yankees signed this reliever to try and help their bullpen woes.

Sep 6, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Phil Bickford (50) throws to the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees took a chance on another ex-Mets relief pitcher to try and help their struggling bullpen.

Prior to Friday's game against the Atlanta Braves, the Bronx Bombers announced the signing of right-handed reliever Phil Bickford to a major league deal and selected him to the active roster. Fellow righty Yoendrys Gomez was additionally called up, while lefty Victor Gonzalez was designated for assignment.

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Signed RHP Phil Bickford (#53) to a Major League contract and selected him to the active roster.
• Designated LHP Victor González for assignment.
• Recalled RHP Yoendrys Gómez (#94) from Triple-A…

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) June 21, 2024

The Yankees signed Bickford to a minor league deal on April 2 and assigned him to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He appeared in 22 games, pitched 27 innings, struck out 35 batters, and has an ERA of 2.93 this season.

Bickford pitched with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets in 2023, combining for a 4.95 ERA in 67.1 innings. The 28-year old is a five-year MLB veteran.

Bickford doesn't fit the Yankees' mold of groundball pitchers, with a 35.8% groundball rate in his career. However, he's a strikeout pitcher with 10.16 strikeouts per nine innings, something the Yankees' bullpen desperately needs; they rank 20th in the majors with 8.40 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Bronx Bombers had claimed former Mets' reliever Michael Tonkin off waivers back on April 25 and have seen great results with him, with a 1.08 ERA in 25 innings. They are hoping for a similar result with Bickford.

New York's bullpen started off strong, but has been a mess as of late. After posting a 2.49 ERA in their first 48 games, they have a 5.16 ERA over their last 29; this includes 12 runs in 16.2 innings in their previous series against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees are holding onto a half-game lead against the Orioles for the American League East. With the bullpen still a work in progress, the Bronx Bombers must address these issues at the trade deadline if they hope to play deep into October.