The New York Yankees did all they could to piece one of the league’s best bullpen crews together. And they might keep its unit intact across the new few years, as they are hoping to agree on an extension with Dellin Betances.
Although the New York Yankees might not make any additional acquisitions, they are already considering their future roster. General manager Brian Cashman came to an agreement with Luis Severino last week to avoid arbitration.
Setup man Dellin Betances might be the next to accept an extension. His agent and New York’s front office has been in contact about his current contract, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
Betances’s career resembled a roller coaster at times, though he’s proven just how dominate he can be. He already has four All-Star appearances under his belt in just five full MLB seasons.
While the Yankees have had a shifting class of relievers in their bullpen throughout the past five years, Betances has been the stable producer. Although he only briefly served as the team’s closer, he still has the mentality to accumulate saves if needed.
Proud papa Dellin Betances has arrived in #Yankees camp. He said that his agent has had extension talks with Brian Cashman and added, “I love New York.”
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) February 18, 2019
But the reliever fits into his setup role. And he has a knack for racking up strikeouts every season, registering at least 100 in each of his seasons, ranking in the top 10 each year in strikeouts per nine innings. His swinging-strike percentage also sat above 10 percent every year.
No pitcher in New York has had more holds within the past five years than Betances, who accumulated 118 of them. And while he struggled with his control in 2017, the right-handed hurler made several adjustments and improvements last year to cut his walk rate in half.
The setup man still has to work on his command, primarily with his fastball. The Yankees pitcher owned the most walks on the team among relief pitchers every year since 2015.
Still, Betances is a strong candidate to obtain an extension, if the price is reasonable. The 31-year-old will earn $7.3 million this season, but he could potentially be worth a tad more if he remains reliable.
And while the hard-thrower has been shaky at times, he’s been durable, pitching more than 370 innings in five years. He’s projected to surpass the 60-inning mark, which would be another accomplishment.
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New York has established it’s willing to make reasonable deals with pitchers, though some have been outright steals – the Severino extension.
will earn nearly $13 million a season, while newcomer
will receive $9 million a year.
Betances has been in New York his entire MLB career and claims he enjoys being in the Bronx. Whether that alone will up his salary to about $9 million per season is unknown.
But considering how successful and dependable the reliever has been during his short tenure, it should be anticipated. The question is how long an extension would be, though it is reasonable to believe Cashman will offer three to four years.
If the Yankees keep Betances around, they will have at least one consistent piece in the pen. And considering they already have one of the best relief staffs in the game, it’s ideal to not let any of the major parts – Britton, Betances, Ottavino and Aroldis Chapman – leave disgruntled due to their contract.