Yankees reportedly agree to 3-year, $27M deal with Adam Ottavino
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Adam Ottavino delivers a pitch for the Colorado Rockies during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Denver last year. Ottavino has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $27 million free-agent deal to pitch for the New York Yankees.
The Yankees are building one heck of a bullpen.
The Bombers are adding a top-notch reliever — and a big mouth — to the mix with the report that Adam Ottavino has agreed to a three-year, $27 million free-agent deal.
Yep, this is guy that made headlines in these parts for saying “I would strike Babe Ruth out every time” on a podcast last month.
Now Ottavino signs up to join Babe’s old bunch.
Ottavino, 33, went 6-4 last season with a 2.43 ERA for the Colorado Rockies with 112 strikeouts in 77.2 innings of work.
He joins a loaded Bombers bullpen that already includes Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and a freshly re-signed Zach Britton.
The Brooklyn native — and childhood Yankees fan — who attended Berkeley Carroll High School was drafted by the Cardinals in 2006 and then selected off waivers by the Rockies in 2012. In seven seasons with Colorado, the righty posted a 17-18 record with a 3.41 ERA in 361 appearances.
He served as the primary setup man to Rockies closer Wade Davis as the club reached the National League Division Series as a wild card. He is the second free agent to depart Colorado for the Bronx this offseason. The Yankees introduced DJ LeMahieu on Wednesday after inking the infielder to a two-year, $24 million deal.
Back to those Babe Ruth comments.
“I had an argument with a coach in Triple-A about Babe Ruth’s effectiveness in today’s game,” Ottavino said on MLB.com’s Statcast Podcast. “This was like 10 years ago. I said, ‘Babe Ruth, with that swing, swinging that bat, I got him hitting .140 with eight homers.’
“He was like, ‘Are you nuts? Babe Ruth would hit .370 with 60 homers,’ and 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.”
Yankee fans won’t care one bit about his Babe bashing as long as he strikes out J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts.
The move drew high praise from young Yankees star Gleyber Torres on Twitter: “Yankees Bullpen.. WOW”
