The Yankees expect their rotation to be tested early next season, with several key starters set to begin the year on the injured list. Brian Cashman has spoken about pursuing depth, which pointed them toward a reunion with Ryan Yarbrough.
Yarbrough has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract to return to the Bronx, a source confirmed to MLB.com on Monday. The agreement, which is pending a physical, has not been formally announced by the club.
Signed late this March after opting out of his Minor League deal with the Blue Jays, Yarbrough was a valuable swingman, posting a 3-1 record and a 4.36 ERA in 19 games (eight starts).
As a starter, he posted a 3.83 ERA, but the left-hander missed two months with a right oblique strain sustained in mid-July. Overall, Yarbrough limited left-handed batters to a .198 average and a .360 slugging percentage.
Yarbrough, who will turn 34 on Dec. 31, has posted a 4.22 ERA across eight Major League seasons, making 76 starts among his 215 appearances.
The Yankees will be without Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt to begin the 2026 season, increasing pressure on Max Fried and other members of the rotation.
“We have pitching depth, but itâ€s going to be challenged early,†Cashman said during the General Managers Meetings. “We have a stressor on the front end of the rotation, and hopefully thatâ€s without any further injuries. Hopefully the off-days will play a nice role early on when we need a fifth starter.
“Hopefully health is blessed early in the rotation as well, in the early portion of February, March and April, but you canâ€t count on that. Of course, weâ€ll be exploring how to protect ourselves so weâ€re not taking on water early.â€
A fourth-round pick of the Mariners in the 2014 Draft, Yarbrough has pitched for the Rays, Royals, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Yankees since his debut in â€18.
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