Yanks Re-Sign Paul Blackburn

The Yankees continue to get the band back together. The Yankees and right-hander Paul Blackburn are in agreement on a contract. It's a one-year, $2 million deal, sources confirm the report of Jon Heyman.

Blackburn could serve multiple roles for the Yankees. He has experience as a starter and a reliver.

The Yankees claimed Blackburn off Waivers from the Mets in August. He was a solid pitcher for the Yankee down the stretch. In his 8 relief appearances for the Yankees, he posted a 5.28 ERA over 15.1 innings. While elevated, this was improvement over his struggling tenure in Queens. The ERA was elevated by one bad outing against the Red Sox. In that outing, he gave up seven runs in three innings.

His time in pinstripes was characterized by significantly better control and efficiency than he displayed earlier in the season. With the Yankees, Blackburn lowered his WHIP to 1.30 from 1.63. He also struck out 16 batters, maintaining a healthy 24.6% strikeout rate. By serving as a "mop-up" and bridge man, he allowed the Yankees' high-leverage arms to stay fresh. This served pivotal down the stretch.

Combined with his early-season numbers, his total 2025 campaign finished with a 6.23 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 39.0 innings. Though his overall stats were skewed by a difficult first half marred by shoulder and knee injuries, his contributions as a versatile depth arm were vital to the Yankees' push to the playoffs.