As reported earlier yesterday, the New York Yankees added another elite piece to their bullpen arsenal, in the form of Adam Ottavino. Ottavino, a man who grew up with the dream of playing for the New York Yankees, will now get to live out that dream after signing a 3 year deal worth $27 million as the right-hander will play in the American League for the first time in his 10-year career. Pictured below, is Adam with his father, John, at the old Yankee Stadium back in 1995.
“When he called me two nights ago and told me, he had the sound of happiness in his voice I haven’t heard in a very long time. He could not possibly be happier”, said John Ottavino, as Adam returns home to New York, after growing up in Brooklyn during his childhood where he dreamt of becoming a New York Yankee.
Ottavino joins an already star studding pen that includes Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and Zach Britton. With the acquisition of Ottavino, the Bronx Bombers find themselves what could nearly be the most devastating bullpen in all of baseball. In 2018, the right-hander had a 2.43 ERA along with 112 punch outs in 77.2 innings pitched.
If you’re a fan of the boys in pinstripes, you should surely be ecstatic with what Brian Cashman has done to bolster the bullpen. After losing David Robertson to Philadelphia a few weeks back, Ottavino is surely considered to be an upgrade. Though it’ll be interesting to see if he can handle playing in the bright lights of New York, like he once dreamt’ about as a child. Stars in Major League Baseball (MLB) have proven that New York isn’t for everybody, including Sonny Gray, who finds himself weeks (maybe even days) away from finding a new home elsewhere via trade, as Brian Cashman seems to be close on a deal for the right-hander.
Like I said, Adam Ottavino grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended Berkeley Carroll High School, and recently had a Q&A interview with MLB.com about his transition back to the big apple:
MLB.com: Did you grow up a Mets fan or a Yankees fan?
Ottavino: I grew up a Yankees fan. I was a little bit of a front-runner. At that time, they were so good. They were good at everything. I loved watching them play. I love baseball history, so they are a team with a lot of it, so I followed it.
If used correctly by Aaron Boone and company, the New York Yankees will be more than capable to compete for a division title without signings the likes of Machado and Harper, provided they can keep a steady pace against the defending champion Boston Red Sox. It should be an interesting summer, as most fans in the Bronx are eager to see if Cashman’s moves will ultimately pay off.
