Highly criticized Yankees offseason decision could actually be a winner

New York Yankees fans didn't exactly jump for joy when the club re-signed veteran right-hander Paul Blackburn in January, but maybe they should've.

Entering Sunday, Blackburn hadn't allowed a run in six innings of spring training dominance. The 32-year-old started and shoved four shutout innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, which got The New York Post's Howie Kussoy calling Blackburn and his one-year, $2 million deal a "bargain".

Paul Blackburn's deal is looking like an offseason victory for Yankees (so far)

Yankees manager Aaron Boone went autumnal in his descriptor for Blackburn, calling the 2022 All-Star "really crisp" against the Jays. Boone also revealed that the plan was for Blackburn to go two or three innings against Toronto, but that Blackburn's "sharp" stuff begged for more mound time.

Speaking of autumn, will Blackburn look this good when it matters for the Yankees much later in 2026? That's really what his "bargain" contract will be judged against, not what he's doing in February.

As long as the above is acknowledged, we can return to freely lauding his spring efforts and treating them for what they are — a nice development that makes Blackburn a guy to watch moving forward, more so than he was a month ago.

Paul Blackburn's mechanical adjustments continue to pay off for Yankees

Blackburn's 2025 season was all over the place, which he has since attributed to mechanical inconsistencies (that have since been remedied, it appears!).

Blackburn's release from the New York Mets came as a result of a 6.85 ERA over seven appearances (four starts), and his debut with the Yankees that followed was similarly disastrous.

This made Blackburn look in the mirror and realize it was time to return to his mechanical origins. He adjusted his arm slot to a previous (and more comfortable) level, and he doubled down on his identity as a guy who doesn't rely on elite gas to overpower hitters, but rather employs savvy off-speed pitch selection and command to fool them.

Blackburn's decisive adjustments reaped immediate rewards in pinstripes. Following his seven-runs blowup, his next 12 innings out of the bullpen featured a 1.50 ERA and 14 strikeouts.

Boone could call upon Blackburn to start games at the beginning of 2026 as the Yankees' rotation operates without Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon.

Ultimately, Blackburn's destiny for New York will be in the bullpen, a depth chart full of opportunity following the departures of Luke Weaver and Devin Williams to the Mets in free agency. It's still mighty early, but so far, so good for Blackburn in 2026.