Conor Foley of YES Network reports that the Yankees have signed RHP Anthony DeSclafani to a Minor League contract, and he’ll report to Triple-A with the Scranton RailRiders. Entering his age-35 season, the veteran right-hander missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing surgery on his right flexor tendon, spending his entire season with the Minnesota Twins as he rehabbed from surgery.
He went unsigned this offseason, but with the Yankees in need of rotation depth, DeSclafani presents a veteran option who could provide a spot start if needed. He’s posted a 4.20 ERA across 942.2 IP in his career, primarily working as a starter and having a career-best season with the San Francisco Giants back in 2021.
Anthony DeSclafani Joins the Yankees On MiLB Deal
The last few seasons have been riddled with injury for Anthony DeSclafani, who hasn’t been able to repeat his brilliant 2021 campaign in the years following. After designating Carlos Carrasco for assignment and outrighting him to Triple-A, the Yankees wanted to bolster their upper-level pitching depth in the Minor Leagues, and DeSclafani presents a veteran option who can make competitive starts if needed.
Originally drafted in the 6th Round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, he would make his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2014. The Cincinnati Reds would acquire him that offseason, and he would spend the next five years of his career as a solid backend starter for a mediocre NL Central team. He would experience a career renaissance with the San Francisco Giants, helping them capture their lone NL West title over the past decade.
Now with the Yankees, there’s always curiosity about how Sam Briend and Matt Blake could unlock more in his profile.
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His fastball sat between 92-94 MPH in 2023, and he has a good slider he can get swings and misses with, but it will be interesting to see if the Yankees have the right-hander make any adjustments as they get him built up. Since he has not been placed on the IL, you could assume he’s healthy and ready to be inserted into a rotation in Scranton that has struggled a lot.
While he attended the University of Florida, Anthony DeSclafani was born in New Jersey, a local in the tri-state area, who has familiarity with the region. The Yankees needed some depth to make sure that they could sustain another pitching injury without forcing an early promotion for a prospect who wasn’t ready, and DeSclafani presents a bit more upside than someone like Carlos Carrasco.