On the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting, the Yankee add a World Series champion to their bullpen.
It has been no secret all winter that the Yankees have had left-handed relief pitching high up on their wish list. Even after inking Tim Hill to a one-year deal with a team option last week, the Yankees have continued to search free agency and the waiver wire for depth pieces. On the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reported tonight that the Yankees have added veteran reliever Tyler Matzek on a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training.
Free agent news: Veteran lefty reliever Tyler Matzek is closing in on a deal with the Yankees, per sources.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) February 11, 2025
Now heading into his age-34 season, Matzek has had a fascinating career to date. Originally drafted in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies, he struggled with control problems during his first stint in the big leagues in 2014 and 2015. After bouncing around the minors and the independent leagues from 2016 to 2019, he returned to The Show as a reliever for the Atlanta Braves in 2020. Across the next three seasons, he posted a 2.92 ERA in 135.2 innings across 132 games, striking out 27 percent of batters faced, allowing just seven home runs, and accruing 1.7 fWAR (3.0 BWAR). Matzek was a fan-favorite member of the “Night Shift” bullpen alongside closer Will Smith and now-crosstown rival A.J. Minter as Atlanta upset Houston to win the 2021 World Series. He has a career playoff ERA and FIP of 1.48 and 1.45, respectively, across 20 games and 24.1 innings.
The last two seasons, however, have been a disaster for Matzek. An elbow injury that cropped up during the 2022 NLDS ultimately required Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the 2023 season. He made just 11 appearances upon his return last season before left elbow inflammation forced him back on the shelf. On top of that, even when he was healthy, he wasn’t effective: he allowed 11 runs in just 10 innings, and his three homers allowed represented the most he had given up in a single season since his return to the majors. Following a trade to the San Francisco Giants, he was released mid-rehab and re-signed with Atlanta, but never returned to the big league mound.
In many ways, Matzek represents a good low-risk, high-reward pickup for the Yankees. Since Matt Blake took over as the Yankees’ pitching coach prior to the 2020 season, the Yankees have had a habit of elevating relief pitchers (with Caleb Ferguson and Victor González last season being two noticeable exceptions). While no one should expect Matzek to return to the dominant version of himself from 2020-21, if he can recapture even a fraction of his old high-strikeout self with a return to heath, he can be a valuable weapon out of the bullpen.
