The Yankees have signed right-hander Tyler Jones to a minor league contract, reports Matt Eddy. No word whether he received an invite to big league Spring Training. The Yankees usually don’t release their list of non-roster invitees until early-February.
Jones, 26, was an 11th round pick by the Twins in 2011. They released him following the 2014 season and he spent 2015 with the Braves, putting up a 2.50 ERA (2.05 FIP) with a 28.4% strikeout rate and an 8.7% walk rate in 54 relief innings split between High-A and Double-A.
After beginning his pro career as a starter, Jones moved to the bullpen full-time in 2013 and saw his stuff tick up a notch. He’s a classic mid-90s fastball/low-80s slider reliever with spotty command. Fun fact: Jones and Nick Rumbelow were teammates at LSU in 2011.
The Yankees have more than enough righty relievers in the upper levels of the organization at the moment. It seems like Jones is a depth bullpen arm for Double-A more than an actual prospect, but who knows. The Yankees have a knack for identifying scrap heap relievers.
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