Yankees' bullpen bust is in danger of plummeting to zero value

01/25/2025 09:14 AM

Scott Effross, once a promising bullpen arm for the Yankees, now finds himself at a crossroads. The 31-year-old right-hander has two years of service time and nearly five years of team control left, but his value is plummeting after a series of injury setbacks.

Effross underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, missing the entire season. While he returned to action in 2024, tossing 35.1 innings with a respectable 2.55 ERA in the minors, his brief stint in the majors exposed significant issues. Over just 3.1 innings for the Yankees, Effross posted a 5.40 ERA, with his velocity and pitch movement a shadow of what they once were.

A Mechanic Primed for Problems

Effross's unique delivery—a low arm slot with a -8-degree angle—has always been both his weapon and his Achilles' heel. While this unconventional approach made him a nightmare for hitters, it also put an enormous strain on his elbow, leading to the kind of injuries that pitchers rarely recover from unscathed.

Effross's best days came in 2022, his breakout season with the Cubs and Yankees. That year, he pitched 56.2 innings with a 2.54 ERA, effectively limiting hard contact and generating weak ground balls. His stuff was electric, but his mechanics were always a ticking time bomb.

A Long Road Back

Even with the glimmers of success in the minors this past season, Effross's diminished velocity and effectiveness are glaring red flags. His arsenal no longer generates the same bite, making him far more hittable.

The Yankees, who once envisioned Effross as a key bullpen piece, now face a tough decision. They've invested time and resources into his recovery, but if he can't rediscover his pre-injury form, it's hard to justify keeping him around.

• Yankees’ former high-upside bullpen arm traded to Padres
• Yankees scouting veteran free agent reliever with World Series pedigree
• Yankees ink their 2 top international free agents for 2025 period

2025: A Make-or-Break Year

Effross heads into 2025 with everything to prove. If he can't regain the velocity and movement that made him so effective in 2022, the Yankees may be forced to cut bait. The bullpen is no place for sentimentality, and with promising arms rising through the system, Effross's margin for error is razor-thin. The Yankees know what Effross can be at his best, but that version of him may never return. For now, his career hangs in the balance, and 2025 will likely determine whether he's a comeback story or a cautionary tale.