Zack Britton Officially Out Until 2023

It’ll be a long road back for him, but he’s surely going to do everything in his power to return to a big-league mound in the future.

Here’s everything you need to know about the situation.

Britton Will Need To Re-Establish Himself Once He Recovers

It was a rough 2021 campaign for Britton.

Once regarded as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball, the former third-round pick just had the worst year of his career.

He pitched to a 5.89 ERA, 5.45 FIP, 1.69 WHIP, and -0.4 WAR across 22 relief appearances this season, costing New York numerous games.

It was unfamiliar territory for the two-time All-Star.

He entered the year with a career 3.04 ERA, 3.45 FIP, and 1.24 WHIP over 10 seasons in the league.

Had had some historically good seasons in the 2010s, including a 2016 campaign in which he received Cy Young and MVP votes.

That season, he posted an insane 0.54 ERA over 69 outings.

So, it’s probably fair to assume that his ugly 2021 campaign was not something the 33-year-old saw coming.

In All Likelihood, Britton’s Stint With The Yankees Is Over

As mentioned, Britton is likely going to be out until the 2023 season.

By the time he’s ready to return, he will likely find himself playing for a new team.

The veteran’s current deal with the Yankees only runs through the 2021 campaign, so he’ll become a free agent after this year ends.

Given the way he looked this season, it seems unlikely that the Yankees will try to re-sign him to a new contract.

If that’s the case, it will leave Britton in a very interesting position this offseason.

What will the market be like for an aging free agent who is (a) coming off of a brutal season and (b) not going to be available to pitch until 2023?

Will he garner any interest at all this offseason, or will he have to wait until after the 2022 campaign ends?

Well, fortunately, a very similar situation unfolded recently, and we can reference that.

In 2020, the San Diego Padres traded for right-handed starting pitcher Mike Clevinger.

Clevinger appeared in just four games for the Padres before he suffered an injury that ultimately required Tommy John.

This put San Diego in a very odd position, as Clevinger was set to become a free agent after that season ended.

Many folks thought the team was going to let the former fourth-round pick walk.

But instead, the Padres got creative.

They signed Clevinger to a two-year deal worth $11.5 million with the understanding that the righty wasn’t going to pitch during the first year of the deal.

$11.5 million seemed like a very fair figure given the nature of the situation, and it was a win-win for both sides.

Perhaps a similar situation could unfold with Britton.

If he’s willing to take a discount, it doesn’t seem far-fetched to think that a club would entertain the idea of signing him to a two-year deal in the upcoming offseason.