The New York Yankees aren’t wasting much time when it comes to building some pitching staff depth this offseason. GM Brian Cashman picked up Tim Hill’s option earlier in November, and now Cashman is reportedly close to re-signing lefty pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, per FanSided’s MLB insider Robert Murray Sources: Free-agent pitcher Ryan Yarbrough and the New York Yankees are closing in on a one-year major-league contract.— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) November 17, 2025 Yarbrough, 33, was with the Yankees last season in a hybrid starter/reliever role. He tallied a 4.36 ERA in 19 games (eight starts) after New York scooped him up before the season following his release from the Toronto Blue Jays. The journeyman has also pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, and and Tampa Bay Rays in his MLB career. He was originally a fourth-round pick of the Seattle Mariners. Yarbrough gives the Yankees’ staff some nice flexibility as they enter the 2026 season without Carlos Rodón (elbow) and Gerrit Cole (Tommy John). Yarbrough can start games for the Yanks until Rodón and Cole come back, and then he can move into a bullpen role. That’s 2024 World Series champion Ryan Yarbrough In 64 IP with NY last season:97th percentile in Avg. EV6.9% Barrels34% HH – Very very lowFor a team that waited until last March to add a LHP to the bullpen, this feels like a smart move for the Yanks https://t.co/lOhH6V1hEt pic.twitter.com/f2ekTcMPQK— Baseball Unstitched Podcast (@BaseUnstitched) November 17, 2025 Yarbrough has a 56-41 career record, with an ERA of 4.22 and 654 strikeouts. The Yankees still might be looking to add a bigger-name starting pitcher to the mix, but Yarbrough was definitely a wise move. Story continues below advertisement “Yarbrough was a solid fill-in for a battered #Yankees rotation last year,” New York Daily News‘ Gary Phillips wrote. “If needed, he can switch to long relief or be a weapon against lefties as other starters return from injury.”