Yankees sign 2022 Red Sox reliever, invite him to spring training

The New York Yankees have their 2023 bullpen mostly filled, but there’s no reason they can’t incorporate a couple of wild cards along the way to flesh things out.

After all, there’s a role available that was previously occupied by 2021 spring training invitee Lucas Luetge, DFA’d (and traded to the Braves) to make room for Tommy Kahnle.

The 2022 Boston Red Sox didn’t run the type of bullpen unit out there that made anyone go, “This. This is the blueprint. We have to steal this,” but clearly, the Yankees saw something they liked enough to float a life raft to the recently-shucked Tyler Danish.

Per Sweeny Murti, the Yankees extended a minor-league contract (with a spring training invite) to Danish, who received his first full-ish season of big-league run in ’22 with Boston after several seasons on the roller coaster with Chicago.

It didn’t go swimmingly for the curveball/sinker specialist, but the Yankees clearly believe there’s something to unlock here. In their defense, Boston thought the same thing last winter.

Yankees sign former Red Sox reliever Tyler Danish

Danish lasted 40.1 for the Sox last season, striking out 32 and posting a 5.13 ERA/slightly less unsightly 1.29 WHIP.

The best of his minor-league output likely came in 2018, when he posted a 3.01 ERA in 71.2 innings, striking out a below-average 53 batters.

In his 2022 lowlight, he was called upon to close — and should not have been! — when Red Sox closer Tanner Houck found himself unable to travel to Toronto, thanks to a force field put in place by the Canadian government. If only there were something he could’ve done to stop Danish from stealing the spotlight.

Danish is unlikely to stick this winter — but, then again, neither was Luetge two seasons prior.

The ex-Sox right-hander’s arsenal is less inspiring than, say, the Braves relievers the team recently acquired/signed off the waiver wire.

Worst-case scenario, he’s a body in Scranton and a mole whenever the WooSox come to town. Best-case? He harnesses his sinker like Clay Holmes lite, dots corners, and actually closes out a Blue Jays game on the road. Either way, he’s not throwing away his shot like Houck.