The Yankees have acquired right-hander Michael Tonkin from the Mets after he was designated for assignment earlier by the Mets. In order to make space for Tonkin on their roster, the Yankees have designated right-hander McKinley Moore.
Tonkin, 34, has seen some movement across teams this year. He was let go by Atlanta last season and then signed with the Mets before being designated for assignment and briefly joining the Twins before returning to the Mets on waivers. Now, he’s joining the Yankees.
Despite the frequent moves, Tonkin has pitched nine innings this season, allowing six earned runs with a 6.00 ERA. However, his underlying statistics are promising, with a 23.9% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate, and 44.4% ground ball rate, all close to league averages.
Last year with Atlanta, Tonkin pitched 80 innings across 45 appearances with a 4.28 ERA and similar strikeout, walk, and ground ball rates. He’s proven to be an attractive bullpen option for teams despite being out of options.
Since Tonkin is out of options, the Yankees will have to clear space on the active roster when he joins the team. Ian Hamilton, Ron Marinaccio, and Cody Morris have options and could be sent down, though Hamilton has been in a key role for the Yankees recently.
To add Tonkin to the 40-man roster, the Yankees have removed Moore, who was claimed off waivers from the Phillies earlier this year. Moore struggled with control issues, walking six of the nine batters he faced in two Triple-A appearances. He had similar control problems in his major league debut last year and throughout his minor league career, but he’s shown a high strikeout rate and still has options, which might appeal to teams looking for a project. The Yankees now have one week to trade Moore or place him on waivers.
