Yankees might take swing-and-miss chance on former enemy after Guardians' decision

It's like that famous old saying: "It's always more pleasant when the screaming reliever is screaming for your team." And while James Karinchak might not have too much more magic in his cap (read: sticky stuff), the Yankees are certainly going to have to take a few flyers on amped-up relievers with a history of velocity this offseason. Karinchak is one of those, and he just hit the market.

The 29-year-old right-hander missed the vast majority of 2024 with a shoulder injury suffered in spring training. When he did pitch, it was at the Triple-A level, resuming a fight to recapture his control that's weighed on him since, unironically, the league's crackdown on illegal substances.

There is nothing about Karinchak's ahead-of-schedule non-tender that hints he is a sure thing, or will contribute to a big-league bullpen in 2025. There is, though, a minor-league option year still attached to his profile, as well as the kind of velocity you can't teach.

There's also a level of familiarity with Matt Blake, and whether the Yankees dive into Karinchak's pool or not (at less than the $1.9 million he was owed in arbitration, most likely) will probably fall on their pitching coach's shoulders. You think you can save him? Can this man be harnessed?

Yankees could sign flameout Guardians reliever James Karinchak as bounce-back candidate

The argument for Karinchak isn't ironclad. He hasn't been dominant since his 39 innings in 2022, when he allowed 22 hits and struck out 62 batters. He was competent in 2023 (3.23 ERA) but with peripherals that hinted he was nearing the rails (4.97 FIP), fueled by 28 walks in 39 more frames.

In 2024, he cascaded off those rails. Even in his strong seasons, he's been around for a good time and not a long time, leading his employer to pray that his peaks could occur in October rather than April.

Karinchak is more of an idea than a pitcher, at this point, but the Yankees are going to have to have a few bright ones in order to get this bullpen to where it needs to be next summer. They might have to swallow their pride and welcome someone who once taunted them. Hey, it worked with Marcus Stroman (kind of).