The Joey Gallo trade might begin to reap its benefits for the New York Yankees soon as pitching prospect Clayton Beeter has made the 2024 Opening Day roster.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post was the first to report that the 25-year-old right-hander made the team after a spring training in which he posted a 3.18 ERA across five appearances (two starts) and 17.1 innings of work. He struck out 17 with a WHIP of 1.240.
Beeter will likely be a bullpen piece that can pitch multiple middle innings after Luis Gil was named the Yankees’ No. 5 starter on Sunday. He also provides the security of being a spot starter if injuries continue to wreak havoc on New York’s rotation.
Ace Gerrit Cole is already out for 10 to 12 weeks due to an elbow injury while Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes are trying to bounce back from injury-riddled campaigns in 2023.
Ranked the Yankees’ No. 14 prospect this season, Beeter spent last year in Double-A and Triple-A where he posted a 3.62 ERA across 26 starts and one relief appearance. He struck out 165 batters in 131.2 innings pitched while walking 75, experiencing most of his struggles at the Triple-A level after posting a 2.08 ERA across 12 starts in Double-A.
As a reliever, he has an opportunity to show a bit more velocity on his fastball, which averages in the low 90s but can top out at 97 mph. The lighter the workload, the more he can put on that pitch. He also has a low-to-mid-80s slider that is the centerpiece of a two-pitch arsenal that he will rely on heavily considering his curveball and changeup have fallen out of favor.
Beeter was acquired by New York from the Los Angeles Dodgers when they traded away the then-struggling slugger, Gallo.
For more on Clayton Beeter and the Yankees, visit AMNY.com
