Yankees Add Former Met Justin Wilson to Bullpen

 The Yankees bolstered their bullpen, while delivering a blow to their crosstown rivals. On Monday, the Yankees signed lefty reliever Justin Wilson to a one-year deal with a player option for 2022. 

The deal re-unites Wilson with the Yankees for whom he pitched back in 2015. Wilson was 5-0 with a 3.10 ERA in 74 appearances as a Yankee back in 2015 before he was dealt to the Detroit Tigers for Luis Cesa. 

Wilson spent the last two seasons in Flushing, pitching well as a lefty-specialist for the Mets. In those two seasons, Wilson was a combined 6-3 with four saves in 68 games and a 2.91 ERA. He is going to be missed by the Mets, who desperately need pitching depth out of the bullpen after losing Seth Lugo to elbow surgery. Wilson was one of the few signings that ex-Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen got right during his tortured two year stint. 

Now Wilson joins a loaded bullpen in The Bronx that features Aroldis Chapman and Zach Britton, as well as recent free agent signing Darren O'Day. 

The Yankees also added former Mets back-up catcher Robinson Chirinos to a deal, creating an interesting situation behind the plate for the Bombers, because Chirinos was Gerrit Cole's personal catcher when they were together in Houston. In fact Cole had a 1.57 ERA when pitching to Chirinos. Does this mean current back-up Kyle Higashioka is on notice? Or does it mean the Yankees are making plans to get Gary Sanchez out of town after two horrible seasons and a off-season full of whining from the Yankees catcher?  This will be a position to watch this spring.