Before today’s game, manager Aaron Boone revealed that the Yankees planned to pick up the contract of left-hander Tanner Tully and option right-hander Clayton Beeter (X link via Greg Joyce of the New York Post).
The Yankees have not yet disclosed the matching 40-man roster move that will be required.
Only six big league innings have been played by 29-year-old Tully, all of which were with the 2022 Guardians. In that little sample of work, he gave up six walks and four runs on eight hits.
After Tully was taken by Cleveland in the 26th round of the 2016 draft, he went on to play seven seasons in the minor leagues, mostly as a starting pitcher. After that major-league cup of coffee in ’22, he was cut from the 40-man roster, granted free agency, and eventually inked a minor-league contract with the Yankees.
Tully made 19 starts in Triple-A before being released to join the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization, indicating that his time with the Yankees was only temporary.
For the Dinos in the last several months of the season, he made 11 starts and pitched 64 2/3 innings with a 2.92 ERA, 17.7% strikeout rate, 4.9% walk rate, and 59.6% ground ball rate.
Tully will now make his big league debut after being brought back by the Yankees on a minor league contract over the offseason.
After Carlos Rodon’s first start of the season lasted just 4 1/3 innings, the Yankees went through five relievers yesterday.
After Nestor Cortes’ five-inning Opening Day outing, they also need four innings from the pen. Should the game get out of control in any way, or in the case that Marcus Stroman has a short start, Tully will provide them with a multi-inning option to give them some length.
Tully has spent portions of five Triple-A seasons with an 18.7% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate, and 5.06 ERA. This spring, he pitched six innings for the Yankees, giving up one run on four hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.
