The Yankees’ 2026 pitching staff will be an evolving one that inserts rehabbing starting pitchers throughout the season and will require flexibility.
To that end, the re-addition of Ryan Yarbrough makes sense.
The career swingman is in agreement on a one-year contract with the Yankees, a source confirmed Monday, after a strong first season in The Bronx. The exact terms were not yet known for a contract first reported by FanSided.
Yarbrough was signed just before last season, began his tenure in the bullpen, assumed a rotation spot amid injuries and became a revelation: In eight starts in May and June, he was barely touched outside of an eight-run blowup against Boston. In his seven other starts, he allowed one or two runs and stepped up in a time of need.
An oblique strain knocked the lefty out until late September, when he returned as a lengthy bullpen arm.
Yarbrough, 34 next month, likely will be asked to start and relieve, probably in that order, next season as well.
The Yankees will begin 2026 without Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery), Carlos Rodón (bone spur) and Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John), but the team hopes all three can join the rotation throughout the season. Yarbrough, who has started 76 games in his eight-year career and more often has come out of the bullpen, is accustomed to filling whatever needs arise.
— Additional reporting by Joel Sherman
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
