It’s only May, and the New York Yankees are already resorting to desperate measures to address their need for pitching depth.
The Yankees signed right-hander Anthony DeSclafani to a minor league contract on Tuesday, Conor Foley of YES Network reports. DeSclafani, who last played in the Majors in 2023 with the San Francisco Giants, will be assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
DeSclafani missed the entire 2024 season due to flexor tendon repair surgery on his throwing elbow. More than 13 months after his procedure, it is unknown where exactly he is in his rehab process, but the Yankees clearly felt good enough about his status to sign him to a low-risk deal.
At 35 years old, DeSclafani is a veteran option who could potentially provide a spot start here and there for the Yankees if they need him to (assuming he’s healthy enough). A veteran of nine MLB seasons, he has a career 4.20 ERA across 942 2/3 innings pitched, primarily as a starter. His best season came with the Giants back in 2021, when he posted a 3.17 ERA with 152 strikeouts and 42 walks across 31 starts.
Yankees take calculated risk, sign veteran pitcher Anthony DeSclafani to minor league deal
Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, DeSclafani made his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2014. He was traded to the CIncinnati Reds the following offseason, and he spent five seasons in Cincinnati as a reliable back-of-the-rotation starter.
DeSclafani experienced somewhat of a resurgence with the Giants, albeit a brief one, as he helped them capture the National League West division title in 2021. After several stints on the injured list, he was ultimately dealt to the Seattle Mariners with Mitch Haniger in the January 2024 trade that sent Robbie Ray to San Francisco. DeSclafani never made an appearance for the Mariners, who flipped him to the Minnesota Twins later that month.
DeSclafani comes with plenty of baggage, as injuries have plagued him throughout his career. However, after designating Carlos Carrasco for assignment and outrighting him to Triple-A, the Yankees needed some upper-level starting pitching depth – and evidently, DeSclafani was the best they could do on short notice.
