The Yankees announced Monday that they’ve reinstated closer Aroldis Chapman from the injured list and designated right-hander David Hale for assignment in order to create roster space.
Chapman is expected to step back into the closer’s role, pushing fellow southpaw Zack Britton back into a setup role. Chapman has yet to pitch this season after testing positive for the coronavirus in mid-July. He was cleared to resume baseball activities back on July 31, though, and has since been working to build up to game readiness. His return should only deepen an already formidable late-inning relief corps; Britton has allowed just one run through 8 1/3 frames while racking up eight saves. And Chapman himself is fresh off a 2.21 ERA and 13.4 K/9 through 57 innings last season.
Fans can be forgiven if they’ve lost track of how many times the Yankees have designated Hale for assignment at this point. The 32-year-old righty continues to post sharp numbers for the Yanks — he allowed two runs in six innings this season — but has been designated for assignment an astonishing four times in the past three years in addition to being outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster in the 2018-19 offseason. Hale has signed five minor league contracts with the Yankees since 2018.
For all the times he’s been cast aside by the Yankees, Hale keeps coming back and keeps pitching well. In 54 1/3 frames wearing Yankee pinstripes, Hale owns a 2.98 ERA and 3.54 FIP with averages of 6.0 strikeouts, 1.8 walks and 0.7 home runs allowed per nine innings pitched. The righty generates grounders at an above-average rate and has proven plenty capable of pitching multi-inning stints, so another club in need of some length in the bullpen or depth in the rotation could conceivably take a look.
The Yankees will have a week to trade Hale, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.
Annnnd the cycle of David Hale’s yankees roster carousel takes yet another spin.
Hah! He’ll be back again. I’m all for the underdog and hope he gets a real shot at staying up somewhere.
David will be back sooner or later
I know Hale hasn’t pitched in too many high leverage games over the past couple of years but he has been a good role player. Hope they keep him around for depth.
The issue is that they have enough depth which makes him expendable.
I’m surprised that no team has claimed hale with all these sorry pitching staffs out there
Right? I didn’t realize his numbers were that impressive, surely the Red Sox or Phillies would be interested
this. hope he comes fo Philly.
It’ll be good to have Chapman back.
And…man, I’m just not sure what Hale needs to do to stick. He’s done a solid job every one of his Yankee “auditions”.
He’s kinda like the Yankees back up booty call, man. Ya know…”well, there’s always Hale”.
If you will.
If Yankees kept Hale who in the Bullpen do you get rid of instead? Cessa? Heller?
i don’t see the appeal of Cessa besides the fact that he can throw multiple innings.
Wasn’t he traded for Justin Wilson? What a steal getting rid of Wilson for Cessa
Yes.
To the Tigers.
Along with…Chad Green! So. The scales are tipped (quite a bit!) the *Yankees* way.
Uh?
And, don’t look now, but Cessa is actually becoming an average/slightly above average middle reliever.
So.
No two ways about it. Cashman did great on this trade.
Yeah 6 years of chad green a high leverage reliever and 6 years of cessa a decent back of the bullpen arm for 1 year of justin wilson
An easy win for cash
David Hale would help the Red Sox. So would skipper Alan Hale and for that matter Barbara Hale (Della Street).
Hello, Matt Klentak. I hope you follow MLBTR.
my thoughts exactly. hasnt answered any of my pleas yet.
Doesn’t he sign with MN then come back after they release him?
Tigers could for sure take a flyer on Hale! Don’t follow the Yanks so I had to look up his metrics and DAMN what does dude need to do to stay with the big league club in the Bronx? If I were him I’d be praying to get picked up by a different club b/c it’s pretty obvious your going to ALWAYS be the odd man out in NYC!
The Yankees tweaked his delivery a couple years back, adding some velocity. In fairness, he was even good with Atlanta. It was only in Colorado when he was bad, and that’s pretty much all pitchers in Colorado.
He ain’t no Mariano, that’s for sure.
Wow talk about a hot take
Ah Chapman, the guy every Yankee fan has forgiven for his misdeeds because he’s a Yankee now. Where’s the cancel culture where this guy is concerned?
Roberto Osuna. Pot meet kettle.
You’re being kind. Chapman is Mother Teresa compared to Osuna.
brainlet comment
Several teams are short in the pen right now, so I suspect he’ll be claimed. I also expect he’ll return to the Yankees again eventually.
I’d rather have hale over cessa but whatever . Not going to get too upset over who the 8th/9th reliever is