The New York Yankees have made a key decision on one of their starting pitchers.
No, they haven’t traded disgruntled veteran Marcus Stroman … yet.
Back in 2022, the Yankees traded struggling outfielder Joey Gallo (and his $10 million salary) to the Dodgers for pitching prospect Clayton Beeter. A 2020 second-round pick from Texas Tech, Beeter primarily spent his first three seasons in the Yankees’ organization as a starter.
However, Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake told the New York Post this week Beeter is now a full-time reliever.
“As we got through last year, [Beeter’s] fastball-slider mix is super powerful and is best suited for relief,” Blake said.
“We decided to lean into the swing-and-miss of the fastball at the top of the zone and the slider at the bottom,” Blake added. “We thought it might even play up in short bursts.”
The 26-year-old Beeter broke camp with the Yankees last year. He recorded a 4.91 ERA in three major league games, striking out five in 3.2 innings.
Unfortunately for Beeter, a shoulder injury limited his minor-league action last year. Beeter went 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 10 games (seven starts) at Triple-A.
Although Beeter struck out 51 hitters in 36 innings, he also allowed 21 walks.
The Yankees have enjoyed success moving starting pitching prospects to the bullpen. Dellin Betances struggled as a starter but became a four-time All-Star setup man. Chad Green was most effective as a do-it-all reliever.
We’ll see if Beeter is next up, though it may take some time before he takes the mound. Yankees manager Aaron Boone recently told reporters Beeter is battling another shoulder ailment.
Beeter still has two minor-league options and will likely begin 2025 in the minor leagues. It is unclear if Beeter will open the season on the injured list, given his recent shoulder problem.