The New York Yankees’ mid-season trade deadline approach was underwhelming as the front office orchestrated just three moves. Jazz Chisholm Jr was traded from the Miami Marlins before the Yanks locked two relief pitchers, Mark Leiter Jr and RHP Enyel De Los Santos, in the final hour of the Tuesday deadline.
That being said, the New York Yankees also made waves with an interesting minor league signing that left everyone around the MLB fraternity surprised. The Yanks signed a former major league outfielder into a minor league deal as a relief pitcher. Can they transform him into a legitimate bullpen weapon in near future?
Yankees Avails Second Chance To Brett Phillips To Return To Majors
The New York Yankees have recently explored unconventional strategies to enhance their bullpen as they signed former major league outfielder Brett Phillips into a minor league contract as a right-handed relief pitcher. Phillips was primarily recognized for his defensive prowess in the outfield and his occasional heroics at the plate. He played as an outfielder for seven years for five different teams. However, his numbers were underwhelming, with just .187/.272/.347 slash line over 971 plate appearances. He rose to fame with a walk-off hit for the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Four of the 2020 World Series. However, due to lack of consistency, he fizzled out of major league only to transform into a full-time relief pitcher.
Brett Phillips pitched in a National Baseball Congress World Series game for the GPS Legends and hogged the limelight with a 97 mph fastball and a nasty slider. Within the next 24 hours, he had a minor league contract on his table from the New York Yankees. Notably, Phillips’s future course of action is still unknown. He isn’t assigned to a minor league team for now. However, the franchise does expect him to develop two-way prowess. Brett Phillips, if given the right guidance, can be a legitimate bullpen weapon who could occasionally replace a weaker outfielder in the latter half of the game. If successful, this conversion could provide the Yankees with a versatile player who can contribute both as an outfielder and a relief pitcher. While transforming Phillips into a legitimate bullpen weapon is an ambitious project, it is not without merit, especially given the Bombers’ standards.
Brian Cashman Prioritised Farm System Prospects At Trade Deadline
In an interesting revelation, Jon Heyman of NY Post claimed that the New York Yankees front office had zero interest in trading top prospects, including Spencer Jones, Chase Hampton, Ben Rice and Jasson Dominguez. All these prospects were popular on the market before general manager Brian Cashman chose against the weakening of prized farm system.
While the fans feel this conservative approach would cost the New York Yankees’ World Series winning odds, the franchise is focused on securing a long-term future. However, the front office appears to contradict itself as they prioritized immediate success while trading Juan Soto on a one-year guarantee earlier this off-season. Did they lose faith already, or something else is brewing behind the scenes?
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