OAKLAND, Calif. — The Yankees showed how they felt about Ron Marinaccio this season by keeping him in Triple-A for most of the year despite their bullpen needing help.
In that sense, their decision to designate Marinaccio for assignment Friday may not have been all that surprising, even if it was a bit jarring to see them give up on the 29-year-oldreliever.
The Yankees needed to open a spot on the 40-man roster to activate Cody Poteet off the 60-day IL (and subsequently option him to Triple-A), so they landed on Marinaccio as the odd man out.
Ron Marinaccio throws a pitch during a Yankees’ game earlier this season. Charles Wenzelberg“A really tough call,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday before the Yankees’ 4-2, 10-inning win over the A’s at the Coliseum. “With the way our 40-man is right now, [the front office] just felt like this was the right thing to do at this time. So it’s always a tough call, especially when you have good people on your roster like Ron. Felt like this was the right way to go.”
The right-hander from New Jersey pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 16 appearances across five stints with the Yankees this season.
He was a Sept. 1 call-up but gave up a pair of runs in two outings before being optioned back to Triple-A on Sept. 6 to make room for the return of Ian Hamilton.
With a bullpen that did not have much roster flexibility, Marinaccio was burned by having minor league options, which had him riding the shuttle between The Bronx and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for most of the season.
He is set to be out of minor league options next season.
The Yankees activated Cody Poteet, pictured throwing in a June game, off the 60-day injured list. Bill Kostroun for the NY PostMarinaccio had a 2.04 ERA in 35 games this year at Triple-A, with 41 strikeouts in 39 ²/₃ innings.
“I think he’s done a lot of really good things this year, both in Triple-A and with us,” Boone said. “But again, sometimes when you have a full roster of good players, sometimes it costs you some good players.We’ve had some guys really come into the organization here in the second half of the season that have become real contributors this year, right now, that have clogged the 40-man a little bit. So you gotta make tough calls every now and then.”
After being a revelation as a rookie in 2022, when he posted a 2.05 ERA in 40 appearances, Marinaccio was less effective last season while recording a 3.99 ERA in 45 outings before being sent back to Triple-A.
Poteet, who pitched well across four spot starts before getting hurt in June with a strained triceps, will continue to serve as starting depth at Triple-A.
Jake Cousins, a day after being removed from his relief appearance with right pectoral tightness, was not scheduled to do much aside from running pregame in the outfield.
The right-hander has emerged as an integral piece of the Yankees’ late-game bullpen plans, making it important that the Yankees get him right before the playoffs.
With Juan Soto being a late scratch from the lineup, Trent Grisham drew his first start since Aug. 31, manning the spacious center field at the Coliseum with Aaron Judge moving to right.
