Earlier today the Yankees officially announced they have signed Chris Carter to a one-year contract. The deal will reportedly pay him $3.5M with another $500,000 available in bonuses based on plate appearances. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, Richard Bleier was designated for assignment.
Bleier, 29, signed with the Yankees as a minor league free agent during the 2015-16 offseason. He made his MLB debut last year and threw 23 relief innings with a 1.96 ERA (2.67 FIP). Bleier also had a 3.72 ERA (3.38 FIP) in 58 innings with Triple-A Scranton. He threw almost 1,000 minor league innings before reaching the big leagues.
I’m kinda surprised Bleier lasted as long as he did given the team’s 40-man roster crunch. Soon-to-be 30-year-old rookies are usually among the first guys to get cut once roster space is needed. Instead, the Yankees dumped younger pitchers like Jacob Lindgren, Branden Pinder, Nick Rumbelow, and Nick Goody before Bleier this winter. Weird.
The Yankees now have seven days to trade, release, or waive Bleier. It used to be ten days, but now it’s seven under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. There’s always a chance Bleier will be claimed because he’s left-handed and breathing. My guess is he clears waivers and remains with the Yankees as a non-40-roster player, and stays in Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.
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