Joel Sherman of the New York Post has been notified by Clayton Beeter, who we ranked as the 24th best prospect in the Yankees organization in our top 30, that he has made the team.
With his impressive performance in spring training, the right-hander earned a spot in the team’s bullpen, most likely as a long-relief pitcher.
With a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings pitched, Beeter has struck out 17 batters while displaying a great fastball-slider combination that could be more useful in pinch-hit situations than as a primary starter.
The right-hander, who recorded a 3.62 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 131.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, was one of the Yankees’ representatives in the Future’s Game last summer.
The Yankees Will Add Clayton Beeter to Their Bullpen Roster
This may come as a surprise, as it was anticipated that Clayton Beeter would be optioned to Triple-A following yesterday’s announcement that Luis Gil had secured the fifth starting position.
In the scenario where the Yankees planned to gradually ease Luis Gil back into action, Will Warren was thought to be a more likely candidate to receive the nod than Clayton Beeter, and this scenario reflects what their plan would have been if Warren had made the rotation.
Your bullpen depth might be severely compromised by having a fifth starter with little experience because they frequently aren’t able to pitch deep enough into games to accumulate innings in the same manner as someone like Gerrit Cole.
The Yankees now have two pitchers on the roster who can pitch three or four innings each and chew up innings in the event that a starter needs to leave the game early, thanks to the addition of Clayton Beeter.
He has impressed thus far in spring training, throwing a four-seamer that ranges in velocity from 94 to 95 mph with good vertical movement up in the zone, which he has been finding more consistently for strikes. This has allowed him to pitch more effectively and walk fewer hitters than he did in Triple-A last season.
However, he has a nasty deathball slider for a wipeout pitch that hovers around the zero line in terms of both horizontal and vertical movement. This pitch has the potential to make all the difference for him.
Although Clayton Beeter doesn’t have a good third pitch, he can still induce whiffs with this high-whiff offering against both lefties and righties. However, the margin for error is much greater in a relief job than it is in a traditional starting one.
Although he may perhaps decrease his command issues and home run ball in a relief position, they are some of his vulnerabilities.
In addition, Beeter may be considering a brief stay in the Bronx, given that Tommy Kahnle is expected to return at some point in early April.
The Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks, two teams with strong offenses and hitter-friendly home ballparks, are the teams the Yankees play seven straight games against to start the season. As such, it’s not a bad idea to have a backup starter in your bullpen on hand.
It would be a somewhat unfair trade if Clayton Beeter could help, as he was initially acquired by the Yankees in the trade that sent Joey Gallo to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2022 deadline.
It appears that the Yankees have a high opinion of Beeter; perhaps this confidence will translate into some crucial innings for a squad that hopes to win the World Series.
