Sources: Yankees, Ottavino reach 3-year deal
The New York Yankees have agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal with free-agent relief pitcher Adam Ottavino, league sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Thursday.
Ottavino, 33, had a breakout 2018 campaign, appearing in 75 games for the Colorado Rockies with a 2.43 ERA and 112 strikeouts, which ranked fourth among all MLB relievers, in 77⅔ innings. He held opposing hitters to a .158 batting average.
That came after he posted a 5.06 ERA with 63 K’s in 53⅓ innings the year before.
The New York Yankees’ bullpen is positively terrifying. They added Adam Ottavino — on a three-year, $27 million deal — to a group that already includes Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Zach Britton, Chad Green and Jonathan Holder, among others. The best pen in the game, period.
Ottavino, who earned $7 million while serving as the setup man for closer Wade Davis, has always been a great matchup option facing right-handed hitters but has continued to flash the right pitches to get lefty hitters out, too. He’s prized for great control of his two-seamer and slider, which lends to his durability.
“He turned himself into one of the best relievers in the game,” Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon told The Athletic last season.
Reliever Adam Ottavino says baseball is different from when Babe Ruth played and that he would strike out the legend “every time.”
Ottavino also doesn’t lack confidence, telling MLB’s Statcast podcast in December that he “would strike out Babe Ruth every time.”
“I had an argument with a coach in Triple-A about Babe Ruth’s effectiveness in today’s game,” Ottavino said. “I said, ‘Babe Ruth, with that swing, swinging that bat, I got him hitting .140 with eight homers.’ … I’m like, ‘I would strike Babe Ruth out every time.’
“I’m not trying to disrespect him, you know, rest in peace, you know, shout out to Babe Ruth. But it was a different game. I mean, the guy ate hot dogs and drank beer and did whatever he did. It was just a different game.”
Ottavino underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in May 2015 soon after he was promoted to be the closer. He returned to action in July 2016.
A first-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2006 amateur draft, the right-handed Ottavino made his major league debut four years later before being acquired off waivers by Colorado in 2012. He just finished his eighth season in the big leagues and seventh with the Rockies.
For his career, Ottavino is 17-20 with 17 saves, a 3.68 ERA and 464 strikeouts.