Yankees Veteran Angry About Demotion Inspired by ‘Business, Not Results’

The New York Yankees’ bullpen has had a solid start, leading all of the majors with 17 saves and ranking second overall with a 2.69 ERA.

The relief corps has been headed by a number of standout performances by relatively affordable players. It has been so effective and deep that Ron Marinaccio, who has been with the organization since the 2017 MLB draft, was recently relegated for the seventh time in his career despite pitching to career highs.

“He was upset,” manager Aaron Boone said of Marinaccio’s reaction to the news, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. “Understandably.”

The New York Yankees Demoted Ron Marinaccio ‘Because of Business’

Marinaccio has been demoted seven times since his debut in 2021, the most recent being to make place for Nick Burdi, who returned off the injured list. However, Marinaccio fared well in terms of meeting expectations. After 12.2 innings with the big league club this season, he had a 1.42 ERA, which would have been his career best. In five innings in Triple-A this season, he has allowed no earned runs.

“But the Yankees made the move because of business, not results,” Kuty stated. “Marinaccio was the last reliever with a minor-league option left, and Hamilton has pitched more high-leverage innings than Marinaccio since debuting with a 2.64 ERA in 39 games last season. The Yankees did not have to cut connections with anyone else in their bullpen because they prioritized depth.”

Marinaccio signed a one-year, $739,900 contract with the Yankees in March 2023 and has been optioned to the minors three times and called up twice since then. His pitching arsenal includes a four-seam fastball, a changeup, and a sweeper, with the changeup holding batters to a.231 average and a 35.7% whiff percentage, according to Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media.

At 28 years old, Marinaccio appears to be on the right track as a player. However, the rivalry for a big-league job in the bullpen and the frequency of his demotions may influence future decisions to stay with the team that selected him.

Boone highlighted that Marinaccio’s recent demotion was not motivated by his performance or inability to advance as a player.

“Ron is in a really good place throwing the ball, and he’s obviously performed well,” Boone told Kuty. “I believe that coming off the heels of last year, he has worked really hard to put himself in a strong position after struggling a little early in Spring Training. (He) concluded Spring Training strong and has thrown the ball exceptionally effectively to start the season.”

The New York Yankees Have Developed a Successful Bullpen Model

Finally, finding a permanent spot in the Yankees’ bullpen is difficult for any player, as the franchise has implemented an excellent strategy of developing a rotating roster of under-the-radar pitchers.

“Boone credited the Yankees’ front office for its ability to identify undervalued arms and maximize their abilities,” according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. “The expertise has produced bullpens that have finished in the top five in ERA over the past three seasons.”