The Yankees have signed veteran reliever to a major league contract, the team announced this morning. The right-hander was by the Red Sox in March. has been placed on the paternity list, temporarily opening a space for Ottavino on the active roster, while has been transferred to the 60-day IL, thereby making room for Ottavino on the 40-man. Ottavino, 39, is a veteran of 14 MLB seasons. Over 724 regular season appearances, he has pitched to a 3.49 ERA and 3.44 SIERA, ama sing 46 saves and 194 holds. Despite his advanced age, he has remained reliable in recent years. He has made at least 60 appearances in each of the past four seasons with a 3.41 ERA and 3.52 SIERA in that time. While his 4.34 ERA with the Mets last season was not particularly impre sive, his 3.19 xERA and 3.27 SIERA offer reason to believe he can bounce back in 2025. While his ERA does not show it, he was equally good at racking up strikeouts and inducing weak contact. Thats usually a good recipe for succe s. On top of that, Ottavino is only one year removed from a 3.21 ERA performance in 2023 and only two years removed from a 2.06 ERA performance in 2022. Thats not to say Ottavino is a sure thing Ryan Graves Jersey to succeed with the Yankees. Theres a reason the Mets left him off their NLCS roster last fall, and theres a reason the Red Sox cut him this spring. Still, his long track record is the reason the Yankees are giving him another shot. After all, this team knows the highs and lows of the Ottavino experience as well as anyone. The righty was a Yankee for two years in 2019 and 2020. He pitched to a 1.90 ERA in 73 games his first season with the club and a 5.89 ERA in 24 games in his second. The Yankees bullpen has not been hit by injuries quite as hard as their rotation. However, they are currently without (virus), (rehab from elbow surgery), and (hamstring strain). Ottavino can offer some helpful depth, at least in the short term.When Williams returns from the paternity list, the Yankees will need to make another move if they plan to keep Ottavino in their bullpen. The most likely course of action would be that they send to Triple-A. Headrick, 27, has one option year remaining. Brubaker, 31, early on in spring training. He will now be unavailable until mid-to-late May. from the Pirates last March, the right-hander has not appeared in the majors since 2022. He mi sed all of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he was limited to just a handful of minor league rehab appearances in 2024. He looked like a capable back-end innings eater when last healthy, making 61 starts for Pittsburgh from 2020-22 with a 4.99 ERA but a 4.04 SIERA, averaging just over five innings per outing. Valtteri Puustinen Jersey