Yankees Take Advantage of Roster Loophole Again to Bring Back Key Reliever. Veteran reliever Adam Ottavino has agreed to a unique Major League deal with the New York Yankees, designed to provide flexibility for the team while offering some security for the player. The contract, worth $1 million if Ottavino is in the big leagues and $150,000 if he’s assigned to the minors, came into effect during Devin Williams’ paternity leave. It also seemingly gives the Yankees the green light to shuttle him back and forth between the majors and minors without much consequence — a maneuver they’ve now used multiple times.
Because of the $1 million price tag attached to Ottavino’s MLB services, he’s not an appealing waiver claim for many teams. This works in the Yankees’ favor, giving them the ability to designate him for assignment (DFA) without significant fear that another club will scoop him up. He’s essentially acting as an unofficial 27th man, stepping in when extra bullpen help is needed and returning to the periphery when no longer required.
Initially, Ottavino filled in for Williams and pitched in two games against the Arizona Diamondbacks before being sent off the roster. After officially choosing free agency on Sunday, he was quickly re-signed by the Yankees to help cover Monday’s chilly matchup in Detroit. He pitched a brief outing — recording just one out, walking two batters, but managing to escape the inning with a strikeout.
Now, at 39 years old, Ottavino finds himself DFA’d once more, as right-hander Ian Hamilton has completed his rehab stint and rejoined the Yankees’ bullpen. Hamilton, who started spring training slowly due to illness, had a less impactful 2024 compared to his breakout 2023 campaign, though his FIP of 3.03 still indicates solid performance. Known for his devastating “Slambio” pitch, Hamilton returns to a Yankees bullpen looking to regain stability, especially with Jonathan Loaisiga expected to remain sidelined for a few more weeks.
As Hamilton resumes his role, Ottavino continues to serve as a dependable depth piece — valuable insurance in case of injury or need. Unless another team in the Northeast is willing to take a chance on him and absorb the cost, expect Ottavino to remain a revolving figure in New York’s bullpen shuffle.
