Yankees Sign Reliever Darren O’Day
Photo Via: Jamie Squire - Getty Images
Just after trading reliever Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox, the Yankees acquired a right-handed bullpen arm. He is also a familiar face. For the bulk of his career (2012-18), Darren O’Day pitched for the Baltimore Orioles. He faced the Yankees 54 times in his career and found success in Yankee Stadium. In 25 appearances at the Stadium, O’Day holds a 1.27 ERA and has yet to surrender a home run.
In the shortened 2020 season, O’Day recorded a 1.10 ERA in 16.1 innings for the Atlanta Braves. He is a righty sidewinder and uses a fastball/slider combo with high effectiveness versus right-handed batters.
It is likely that O’Day will be a Yankee for two seasons. The deal is structured as follows:
2021: $1.75M
2022: $1.4M player option (can be bought out for $700K) OR $3.15M club option (if player option is declined)
O’Day, who is 38, will take home a guaranteed $2.45 million if the Yankees decide to buy-out his second year. Since the Yankees would have to pay $700K not to pitch for them in 2022, chances are he will return, barring a significant injury or regression.