Yankees Bring Veteran Reliever Back on Minor League Deal

OAKLAND — While two pitchers made their Yankees debuts on Sunday in Oakland, New York brought a familiar face back to the organization he once called home for four seasons.

The Yankees signed left-hander Chasen Shreve to a minor league contract, according to the team's transaction page. 

Shreve, 32, is in his ninth big-league season. Earlier this year, the southpaw pitched for the Mets, posting a 6.49 ERA in 25 games. The reliever has spent the majority of his MLB career in a Yankees uniform, pitching to the tune of a 3.92 ERA across 180 appearances (174.2 innings from 2015 to 2018). He was particularly effective as a rookie in 2015, posting a 3.09 ERA in 59 outings out of the Yankees' bullpen and setting a career-high with 58.1 innings pitched and 64 strikeouts.

After those three-plus seasons with New York, Shreve was dealt to St. Louis, included in the Luke Voit trade along with right-hander Giovanny Gallegos. He stuck around with the Cardinals through the following season, pitching for the Mets and Pirates since then.

For a team that's been plagued with injuries in their pitching staff, especially the bullpen, it never hurts to bolster depth with experienced arms. That's the case with Anthony Banda and Luke Bard, who both pitched for the Yankees for the first time on Sunday in a loss against the Athletics. 

New York has already summoned the likes of Shane Greene and Manny Bañuelos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year—in an effort to eat up some innings—so don't be entirely surprised if Shreve is used down the road.