New York Yankees Make Intriguing Coaching Staff Promotion

Claiborne, 37, was selected by the Yankees in the 17th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. After spending a little over three years in the minor leagues, he made his big-league debut in May 2013, filling in for an injured Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen.

In his debut against the Oakland Athletics, the right-hander tossed two scoreless innings without allowing a baserunner. He went on to make 44 relief appearances that season, posting a 4.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and a 7.5 K/9 rate over 50.1 innings.

Claiborne made 18 more appearances with the Yankees in 2014 before being designated for assignment that offseason. After missing the entire 2015 season due to injury, he bounced between a few organizations in the minor leagues before making his final MLB appearance with the Texas Rangers in 2017.

This will be Claiborne’s fifth season as a coach in the Yankees’ system. Prior to his job with Low-A Tampa in 2024, Claiborne served as pitching coach for the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades in 2023 and spent two seasons with the Yankees' Florida Complex League affiliate. Claiborne was also slated to be the pitching coach for the GCL Yankees West in 2020, but the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During his time with Hudson Valley, Claiborne helped develop top prospects like Drew Thorpe, Chase Hampton, and Brock Selvidge. The Renegades’ pitching staff finished with a league-best 3.62 ERA and was the only team to record more than 1,400 strikeouts that season.

Now, Claiborne will join pitching coach Matt Blake to help a unit that ranked seventh in the majors with a 3.74 ERA in 2024. This winter, the Yankees added two-time All-Star left-hander Max Fried, two-time All-Star closer Devin Williams, and right-handed reliever Fernando Cruz, whose splitter generated the fourth-highest whiff rate (59.3%) among all pitches in 2024, according to Statcast.

Claiborne and Blake will also work closely with 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, and a stable of high-upside arms as the Yankees aim for their second consecutive American League pennant.