Yankees Present Star Player Agreed To Joins Yankees on The Next Year Contract….
Phil Bickford’s Dodgers career wasn’t especially long or distinguished, but it has at least catapulted the right-handed reliever into a useful MLB player. That’s not insignificant.
Bickford, 28, was released by the New York Mets on March 26 and didn’t have to wait long to find a new team — and a pretty good one, at that. The New York Yankees signed Bickford to a minor league contract Tuesday and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate.
Although Bickford will begin his next stop in baseball with the Scranton RailRiders, his contract will pay him seven figures if he gets recalled to the Bronx, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post:
When the Dodgers claimed Bickford off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers in May 2021, he was a veteran of exactly two major league games. He already had burned through chances with his first two organizations; the Toronto Blue Jays picked Bickford 10th overall out of Oaks Christian High School but he didn’t sign. The San Francisco Giants picked him 18th overall out of the College of Southern Nevada in 2015, but he never appeared in a game for them, either.
After parts of six seasons in the Brewers’ organization, Bickford had a 27.00 ERA at the major league level (six runs allowed in two innings). With the Dodgers, he would go 8-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 152 games from 2021-23.
Dodger fans might remember Bickford best for his flowing blonde hair and dependability in low-leverage situations. Bickford’s six losses are largely testament to the fact that he rarely pitched in a close game with a lead on the line.
A starter in the minors, Bickford threw a career-high 48 pitches in a game against the Minnesota Twins on May 15, 2023. In that game, Bickford pitched the 10th, 11th, and 12th innings of a game the Dodgers ultimately won 9-8. Bickford did not allow an earned run while facing 14 batters.
That would prove to be the high point of Bickford’s career in Los Angeles. He was traded to the Mets on Aug. 1, 2023 along with reliever Adam Kolarek for cash.
Bickford was 3-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 25 appearances last season with the Mets.
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Out of nowhere on Tuesday night, right before they were set to face off against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the New York Yankees added pitching depth in the form of a veteran right-hander who once upon a time had his moment in Hollywood.
According to the Scranton RailRiders Twitter account, Phil Bickford has been added to the team’s roster. Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Bickford can earn $1.1 million if he makes the MLB squad, but the terms are unclear.
Bickford, who spent last season with the Mets and Dodgers (LA traded him to New York after designating him for assignment), pitched to a 2.81 ERA in 57 appearances as recently as 2021. He’s gradually fallen out of favor since, but he’s proven to be effective when utilized correctly.
He’s primarily a two-pitch reliever, sporting a fastball-slider combo, which is something the Yankees like to work with. But Bickford saw his powers zapped last season when he ranked in the bottom of the league in exit velocity, max exit velocity, and walk percentage.
This move isn’t exactly surprising, though, after Aaron Boone revealed Tommy Kahnle was yet again slowed in rehab from a shoulder injury.
Yankees News: Phil Bickford signs minor-league contract with New York
Boone said there’s no plans for a rehab assignment for Kahnle because the right-hander didn’t bounce back as expected from a recent live throwing session. The Yankees’ bullpen has been tested early, so this isn’t helpful from a reinforcements perspective.
That might’ve nudged the front office to add some more experienced help, and somebody like Bickford is the exact kind of low-cost addition with a reliable-enough track record to provide the Yankees the relief they’ll need as the grueling 162-game season drags on.
Pitching coach Matt Blake has seemingly already worked wonders with Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Luke Weaver, Nick Burdi, and others. Bickford could very well be next, especially after seeing what the Dodgers were able to unlock.
In other news that somewhat connects the Dodgers and Yankees from Tuesday, Matt Gage, who New York traded to LA this offseason, was designated for assignment. He might’ve been helpful, but he also netted the Yankees Caleb Ferguson.
Nonetheless, we’ll keep tabs on Bickford at Scranton to see if he gets close to taking the shuttle to the Bronx when the Yanks need to ensure their key guys get needed rest.