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 on Friday may not have been all that surprising, even if it was a bit jarring to see them give up on the 29-year-old reliever.
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.
The right-hander from New Jersey had pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 16 appearances across five stints with the Yankees this season.
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.
Marinaccio had a 2.04 ERA in 35 games this year at Triple-A, with 41 strikeouts in 39 ⅔ innings.
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.