Yankees Sign Former Dodgers Reliever to Major League Deal

Phil Bickford, former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever, has agreed to a major league contract with the New York Yankees for the second time this season.

Despite a high ERA of 14.40 in five games at the end of June, Bickford has performed well in his 34 appearances with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, posting a 3.00 ERA and recording five saves.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Bickford’s performance, stating that he has shown good consistency and can provide multiple innings when needed.

After initially signing a minor league deal with the Yankees in April, Bickford struggled in his brief stint with the big league roster in June before being designated for assignment. However, his success in Triple-A has earned him a return to the Yankees on a guaranteed contract.

Bickford has had ups and downs in his MLB career but had a standout season in 2021 with a 2.81 ERA over 51.1 relief innings. The move to sign him is also influenced by the fact that he is out of minor league options.

Michael Tonkin was designated for assignment in a corresponding move, despite his solid performance for the Yankees. Boone expressed regret over the decision as Tonkin had been a valuable teammate.

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