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According to George A. King III of the New York Post, the Yankees are bringing back veteran left-hander Jon Niese, re-signing him to a minor-league contract. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo reports it’s a one-year pact worth $1.25 million and includes another $750k available through incentives if he’s on the big-league roster.
Niese can opt out of the deal on May 15. The 30-year-old had been trying to earn a role in the Yankees’ bullpen and provide depth for the rotation this spring. He tossed six innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs, and striking out five. But Niese’s velocity was down in the mid-80s as he worked his way back from knee surgery.
The Yankees had released Niese on Sunday, but it only took two days for the sides to come back together on an agreement. He’ll likely open the season in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but we could see Niese in the majors at some point in 2017.