The New York Yankees will turn their attention to the offseason and free agency following their defeat at the hands of the Houston Astros in the ALCS. One of the players who is set to hit the open market is veteran starting pitcher Jameson Taillon. Via NJ.com, Taillon opened up on whether he’d be interested in returning to New York this offseason.
“I haven’t thought about it a ton but I definitely know I loved playing here,” Taillon said after the Game 4 loss. “They took a chance on me coming back from rehab and elbow surgery and all that stuff. To get to come here, I had never experienced the playoffs, never experienced a winning environment and culture. So, I felt like I didn’t take a day for granted, showing up and putting the pinstripes on.”
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019 while with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Taillon missed most of that year as well as the entire 2020 campaign. The Yankees acquired him in 2021, and he’s spent the past two years in the Bronx.
The 30-year-old posted a 22-11 record across two seasons with the Yankees. He started 61 games and logged a 4.16 ERA across a total of 321.2 innings while striking out 291 batters in that span. The 177.1 innings he pitched this season were the most since before his elbow surgery, and his 3.91 ERA was the best of his two-year stint with the Yankees.
A reunion in the Bronx could certainly benefit both parties heading into the 2023 MLB season, but it remains to be seen exactly how Brian Cashman and Co. plan to approach the looming offseason.