The Yankees brought back Paul Blackburn on a one-year, $2 million deal, giving them a familiar arm for their 2026 rotation mix.
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported the agreement late Saturday night. It’s a straightforward reunion after Blackburn finished last season in pinstripes.
The 32-year-old righty brings solid experience to what’s shaping up as a retooled Yankees pitching staff. At 6-foot-1, he’s not going to overpower hitters, but he knows how to get outs.
Blackburn’s got an interesting baseball journey behind him. The Cubs drafted him in the first round back in 2012 straight out of a California high school. He spent eight years grinding it out in Oakland’s system, even made an All-Star team during that stretch.
After a couple partial seasons with the Mets, he landed with the Yankees midway through 2025. His numbers weren’t pretty – a 5.28 ERA across 15.1 innings in eight appearances. But he did show decent strikeout stuff, fanning 9.4 batters per nine.
That small sample size doesn’t tell the whole story.
What makes Blackburn valuable is his versatility. He’s started games throughout his career, which means he can work as a swingman if the Yankees need length from their bullpen. That’s exactly the kind of depth every team wants but few can afford.
For $2 million, it’s the definition of a low-risk move. Blackburn’s not going to be thier ace, but he’ll eat innings when the Yankees need them. And given how unpredictable pitching can be, having a guy who can step into multiple roles is smart roster construction.
The Yankees clearly saw enough from his brief stint last year to bring him back. Sometimes the best moves are the quiet ones that give you options down the road.
