After his last appearance with the New York Mets, right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn signed with the Yankees on Thursday, bolstering the bullpen for the American League leaders. Initially, Blackburn was expected to be with the Yankees on Wednesday for the game against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field, but he suffered significant flight delays from Texas, after flying from Idaho. He didn’t arrive in New York until Thursday afternoon, after rescheduling his flights.
Blackburn had a 0-3 record with an ERA of 6.85 with the Mets this season. His last performance was in the 11-6 loss to Atlanta on August 13, where he allowed two runs.Yesterday I spent practically the whole day at the airport with delays and cancellations and all that.
Paul Blackburn
Blackburn, 31, was initially designated for assignment by the Mets on Saturday to make room for prospect Nolan McLean. The Mets announced his release on Tuesday after he rejected an outright assignment to the minor leagues and passed through waivers on Monday.Depth, some length. Our bullpen right now is not filled with a lot of guys that give us a lot of length, so obviously there’s a track record of success in the big leagues.
Aaron Boone, Manager
Blackburn was originally acquired by the Mets from the A’s on July 30, 2024, and made five starts before being diagnosed with a cerebrospinal fluid leak in his back and undergoing season-ending surgery. He began this season on the injured list with right knee inflammation and an illness delayed his season debut until June 3. After an ERA of 7.71 in six appearances, Blackburn returned to the injured list with a right shoulder ailment before being activated last week.It was difficult, but I think it’s a good place to start over. Just trying to contribute in any way I can here for the rest of this year and from there.
Paul Blackburn
Since his debut with the A’s in 2017, Blackburn has a 22-31 record with a 4.96 ERA in 93 games (86 starts). In 2022, he had a 7-6 record with a 4.28 ERA in 21 games for the A’s and was selected for his only All-Star team. To make room on the roster for Blackburn, Allan Winans was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre.It’s been strange. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect or what to do with it. I just tried to stay ready, keep throwing, keep available unless someone called.
Paul Blackburn
