Former Yankees folk hero signs comeback deal with baseball's new Evil Empire

New York Yankees v Chicago White Sox
New York Yankees v Chicago White Sox | Ron Vesely/GettyImages

The New York Yankees have long prided themselves on their ability to toss darts at the bullpen and make something work, thanks in large part to Matt Blake and his vaunted Gas Station rehabilitation center.

Typically, the Yankees have been able to patch things together, and plenty of their projects bear long-term fruit; this time last year, nobody saw Luke Weaver coming. Blake's efforts have also resulted in plenty of short-term bursts, followed by disappearing acts. That's the nature of the beast. Not every rocket lands safely on the ground; some merely shoot through the sky, then fizzle just as quickly, hampered by injuries, MLB's adjustment period, or both.

Stephen Ridings certainly falls into the latter category. The Yankees and Ridings paired up in 2021 in a moment of desperation, as New York's short relievers coughed up lead after lead. The Long Island native/substitute teacher was promoted in August armed with a fire-breathing fastball, and was initially ticketed for low-leverage opportunities while he got his feet wet. By the end of his first outing, though, it was clear the Yankees wouldn't be able to keep him a secret for very long; he whiffed the side in a 13-1 win over the Orioles, stacking blazing heaters upon one another until his entire MLB debut had flashed quickly. His next chance came in the second frame of a bullpen game against Seattle; it turned out to be a 3-2 win, and Ridings was on his way.

Unfortunately, nearly four years later, the totality of his big-league career consists of the five magical innings he posted that summer; he succumbed to injury after an outing in Chicago, and despite being claimed by the Mets after 2022, he's yet to return to the bigs.

Now, he'll get a chance to do so with the Los Angeles Dodgers after making an Indy Ball cameo in 2024. Of course it's the Dodgers.

Former Yankees fan favorite reliever Stephen Ridings signs with Dodgers on minor-league deal

Only relevant MLB teams for Ridings. No duds. He's either on the Yankees, on one of the teams that most directly affects the Yankees, or out of baseball entirely. Nothing in between.

It will be as difficult to crack the Dodgers' bullpen as any roster in recent MLB history, but Ridings does have one thing going for him: LA's back-end unit tends to break down as the season goes on. Unfortunately, their history of injury prevention isn't exactly encouraging for Ridings, either, as he looks to get back on track.

Yankee fans will be rooting for him, outside of the World Series, every step of the way.

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