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Former All-Star Pitcher Lands With Yankees After Being Released

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Valdez | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 4:19 PM ET

The New York Yankees had losing records both in June and July, but August has been kinder to them. They're currently on a five-game winning streak thanks largely to their offense, as they've scored 43 runs over that stretch. That averages out to 8.6 runs per contest.

The Yankees won't maintain that pace for the rest of the season, but it's a reminder of what they're capable of. They're now 1.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox for second place in the AL East and the first AL Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, they're also four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first in the division.

New York made roster moves before its bout with Boston on Thursday, via its social media.

The club signed former New York Mets pitcher Paul Blackburn and added him to the active roster. It also optioned right-hander Allan Winans to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move.

Blackburn is 22-31 with a 4.96 ERA over 93 career appearances. The right-hander pitched for the Athletics from 2017 until they dealt him to the Mets at the 2024 Trade Deadline. The latter club released him on Tuesday, as he's 0-3 with a 6.85 ERA over seven outings this year.

Blackburn was an All-Star in 2022 and finished the season 7-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 21 starts.

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Signed RHP Paul Blackburn (#58) to a Major League contract and added him to the active roster.
• Optioned RHP Allan Winans to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 21, 2025

Paul Blackburn Will Be a Bullpen Arm for Yankees

Blackburn is in the clubhouse and will be used as a relief pitcher moving forward, via The Athletic's Chris Kirschner. Yankees manager Aaron Boone described what the veteran's role will be, via SNY.

"Some depth, some length. Our 'pen right now is not filled with a lot of guys that give us a lot of length," he said. "He obviously has a track record of success in the big leagues..."

Blackburn has mostly been a starter throughout his career, as 86 of his 93 outings were starts. However, New York's rotation is set with Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Will Warren, and rookie Cam Schlittler. The latter hurler took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Yankees had a void at long reliever. David Bednar, Yerry De Los Santos, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams aren't accustomed to pitching more than three innings in one game.

Gil will start for New York at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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