Monday’s Yankees roster shake-up was anything but quiet — and if you blinked, you might’ve missed a few dominoes falling. So let’s break it down because, yes, there’s a new arm in the bullpen, a hot-performing reliever hitting the IL, and a depth infielder potentially packing his bags before even unpacking them in the Bronx.
Geoff Hartlieb: A Slider-Fueled Comeback Attempt
Geoff Hartlieb is getting another crack at the bigs. Now, Hartlieb’s story is the stuff of journeyman grit — five teams in seven years, a career ERA north of 7.00, and yet, he’s back. Because right now, he’s dealing. A 3.34 ERA in 35 Triple-A innings, a strikeout rate of 26.2%, and a walk rate that’s tighter than ever at 6.9%. That slider? Oh, it’s back and it’s nasty — he’s throwing it more than half the time, and it’s paying off big. A 17.2% swinging-strike rate? That’s elite. Yes, we’re talking minor league numbers, but when a guy starts missing bats like that, he gets noticed. Especially when your bullpen just took a significant hit.
Fernando Cruz: The Dominant Arm the Yankees Can’t Afford to Lose
Enter the real gut punch: Fernando Cruz was added to the injured list after suffering a left oblique strain. Oof. That’s a problem. Cruz has been a strikeout machine — 41.2% K-rate, people! The man’s splitter is practically unhittable, and I don’t mean that lightly. Batters are hitting just .136 against it and slugging a paltry .222. Fifty-five percent of the time, that pitch ends in a K. You don’t just replace that kind of dominance overnight. For a Yankees pen that’s been both electric and overworked, losing Cruz is a severe blow.
CJ Alexander: Claimed, Benched, and DFA’d
To make room on the 40-man roster, CJ Alexander got DFA’d — which, frankly, was coming. The 28-year-old infielder hasn’t shown much at the plate since being claimed off waivers from the A’s. His Yankees stat line? Nonexistent. His Triple-A line? Forgettable. A .196 average with zero pop in 53 plate appearances. That’s a far cry from the power numbers he flashed in Las Vegas earlier this year. Someone might take a flier on him — or not — but his fate will be sealed within the week.
So what now? Hartlieb gets his shot, the Yankees hope lightning strikes in a bottle, and they try to patch the bullpen together while Cruz heals. Stay tuned, folks. This one’s got more moves coming.
