Yankees Counting on Depth Moves to Bolster Rotation

A 162-game season is a marathon and not a sprint. Everybody remembers the frontline starters for their legendary postseason moments, but what's forgotten are those ancillary members of the roster who carry teams through the dog days of summer. If the New York Yankees make a run with Gerrit Cole and Max Fried at the top of their rotation, don't forget the contributions that may come from a Paul Blackburn or Ryan Yarbrough.

Sep 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Paul Blackburn (58) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Nobody knows better about the pitching aspect of the game than Matt Blake, who joined the organization back in 2021. According to Blake, it is paramount that teams stock up on minor league depth and smaller pieces to get through a long season.

"You have got to find a way to manage the long haul while also having upside for the postseason," Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

"Typically [using minor leaguers for depth] is what would be done — you'd have five veterans, and then you'd have young upside guys maybe to break in at some point. But it feels like for some of these teams with bigger revenue, they're able to carry some of the extra capital costs on veteran starters. Like we have [Paul] Blackburn and [Ryan] Yarbrough, and that's guaranteed money toward guys who may or may not start."

Potential Depth Additions

Blackburn and Yarbrough are two veterans with a ton of experience in the league. They may even add more arms come Spring Training, when they announce their non-roster invitations.

Those arms could either make significant contributions the way Nestor Cortes did in 2021, or, in the case of Carlos Carrasco last year, they provided a handful of innings during those dog days. Granted, they were ugly innings in Carrasco's case.

Feb 17, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA;New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes (65) throws in the bullpen during spring training workouts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

There are a few interesting names the Yankees can look to for depth that are still available. The names range from the aforementioned Cortes, who is still on the market. Then there are guys like Jose Quintana and Griffin Canning. Both have experience pitching in New York.

Another intriguing name is John Means. At one time, Means was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and the gem of the Baltimore Orioles organization. Injuries have hampered him, but it's conceivable that a team will take a flyer on him, even if only for the Spring.

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