Yankees Sign Former All-Star Pitcher to Major League Deal

The Yankees made a move to fortify their pitching staff Thursday, signing veteran righty Paul Blackburn to a major league deal, per a team announcement.

Blackburn, 31, was designated for assignment by the Mets earlier this month, and has made seven pitching appearances, including four starts, in 2025. He struggled during his time with the Mets, leading to his release. This season, he owns a 6.85 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 18 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings.

The right-hander was an All-Star as recently as 2022, when he pitched for the Athletics. That year, Blackburn had a 4.28 ERA with 89 strikeouts and 30 walks across 21 outings.

In a corresponding move after signing and activating Blackburn to the active roster, the Yankees optioned right-handed pitcher Allan Winans to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Blackburn is in his ninth MLB season, and the Yankees will be the third team he's played for in his career. He's made a total of 93 appearances and 86 starts in the league, and owns a 4.96 ERA.

Blackburn will likely pitch out of the bullpen in the Bronx, and he'll join a bullpen consisting of Luke Weaver, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Mark Leiter Jr., Tim Hill and Yerry De los Santos.