Andrew Bailey, New York Yankees agree to new minor league deal
By Aaron Somers
Despite missing the entire 2014 season while recovering from shoulder surgery, Andrew Bailey will remain with the New York Yankees after the two sides reached an agreement on a new minor league deal. Chad Jennings of LoHud.com reports that the team declined an existing option for 2015 that was in his original deal.
Yankees declined their 2015 option on RHP Andrew Bailey, but I'm told he's been re-signed to a new minor league deal.
— Chad Jennings (@chadjennings22) November 7, 2014
New York initially signed Bailey to a minor league deal an offseason ago with the thinking that he might be available to bolster the bullpen late in the season. Considering his track record and the annual need for fresh arms late in the summer, it was a line of thinking that made a lot of sense provided the right-hander could progress far enough in his rehab.
Injuries have been a concern for Bailey dating back to college. He’s undergone Tommy John surgery, microfracture surgery on his right knee, and dealt with numerous other strains before this latest shoulder surgery. Bailey hasn’t pitched in a game since July 2013.
Debuting in 2009 with the Oakland A’s, Bailey posted numbers strong enough to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award. He went 6-3 and saved 26 games with a 1.84 ERA and 0.876 WHIP in 83.1 IP. His numbers in his sophomore season were just as strong, also earning him his second All Star Game appearance.
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Oakland traded Bailey a year later, along with Ryan Sweeney, to the Boston Red Sox in a deal that brought Josh Reddick, Raul Alcantara, and Miles Head back to the A’s. His tenure with Boston was brief, pitching just 44.0 IP over two seasons with a 4.91 ERA and 1.455 WHIP.
With another offseason of recovery under his belt, it’s safe to say that there’s a chance Bailey could come into camp in the spring at or near full strength but there’s no reason to think that he’ll compete for a spot in the team’s Opening Day bullpen. Bailey will be brought along slowly and will spend time regaining his mechanics in game action before the team will likely consider him an option.