Yankees deal could pay delayed dividend in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
Jack Bird wasn’t great with the New York Yankees.
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He was one of the relief pitchers the Yankees acquired at last season’s trade deadline, coming over from the Colorado Rockies, and there are plenty of reasons to believe in him. Then he came under fire.
The good news for the Yankees and Bird, though, is that he remains in their organization. He still has a chance at redemption.
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch even predicted Bird would be an ideal dark horse to make the Opening Day roster.
“After Byrd was acquired from the Rockies last July, he allowed seven runs (six earned) in two innings and then stayed in Triple-A the rest of the year,” Houck wrote. “It wasn’t the best first impression, but the 30-year-old looked different early in training camp, a credit to working with the Yankees pitching department throughout the offseason. If he continues to create groundballs and breath, Bird could be a good option in the bullpen.”
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For Bird, this was a surprisingly small sample size.
He had a 4.73 ERA with the Rockies before being traded to the Bronx, and you might think playing at Coors Field is at least a bit exaggerated. In 2025, Bird struck out 10.5 batters per nine innings.
His strikeout numbers last season were by far the best of his career, so the concern among Yankees fans is that he’s pitching more than he should and is simply reverting to his old form.
It wasn’t just the Yankees who wanted Bird before the deadline, though. The team believes in his stuff.
He’ll likely prove to be a solid acquisition for New York, with just a slightly delayed return on investment.
