**Yankees Sign Thomas Pannone to Minor League Deal**
The New York Yankees have signed left-hander Thomas Pannone to a minor league deal, assigning him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to MLB.com. Previously with the Cubs on a minor league contract, Pannone was released earlier this week.
Pannone, 30, had been pitching in the rotation for Triple-A Iowa before his release, posting respectable numbers which might have triggered an opt-out clause. After joining the Cubs in the winter, he pitched 90 2/3 innings over 19 starts, achieving a 4.37 ERA, a 22% strikeout rate, an 8.1% walk rate, and a 42% ground ball rate. Given the high run-scoring environment in the International League this year, where the average ERA is 4.90, Pannone’s 4.37 ERA ranks 12th among 29 qualified pitchers.
While the Yankees currently have a solid major league rotation featuring Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman, and Luis Gil, their depth has been compromised by injuries. Clarke Schmidt, JT Brubaker, Cody Poteet, and Clayton Beeter are all sidelined. Schmidt has been out since late May with a lat strain and has not yet started a rehab assignment.
Poteet is recovering from a right triceps strain and also hasn’t begun rehabbing. Brubaker, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, was recently set back by an oblique strain, and Beeter might be out for the season due to a shoulder issue, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post.
Given Pannone’s decent performance this year, the Yankees are bringing him on board to bolster their pitching depth. Pannone has 118 2/3 innings of MLB experience with the Blue Jays and Brewers, holding a 5.46 ERA. He also played parts of 2022 and 2023 in Korea, posting a 3.49 ERA over 165 innings with the KBO’s Kia Tigers. If Pannone is added to the Yankees’ roster, he is out of options.
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