has started 83 of his 92 career minor league games, but going forward, the right-hander will be used as a relief pitcher, Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake told . As we got through last year, [Beeters] fastball-slider mix is super powerful and is best suited for relief , Blake said. We decided to lean into the swing-and-mi s of the fastball at the top of the zone and the slider at the bottom. We thought it might even play Derrick White Jersey up in short bursts . The news isnt too surprising, as ever since Beeter was a second-round selection for the Dodgers in the 2020 draft, some pundits have felt he would ultimately end up as a reliever at the big league level. Baseball America placed Beeter 21st on its most recent ranking of the Yankees top 30 prospects, and the righty as a potential candidate for multi-inning relief work. The 26-year-old Beeter has actually only pitched in the majors as a reliever, as all three of his MLB appearances (3 2/3 total innings) came out of New Yorks bullpen last season. As Blake noted, Beeter relies heavily on a two-pitch arsenal, with a changeup and curveball used sparingly at the Triple-A level. Beeters fastball generally sits in the low 90s but has topped out at 96mph, according to BAs scouting report, and more velocity could be unlocked with this move to the bullpen. Beeters 60-grade slider is his most effective pitch, helping fuel much of the strikeout ability he has exhibited over his minor league career. Acro s an even 300 innings in the minors, Beeter has a very impre sive 33.1% strikeout rate. All those mi sed bats have come with a 12.7% walk rate, and the lack of control is another reason why the Yankees feel Beeter might benefit most from relief work. Theres also the health factor Beeter was limited to 39 innings over 12 appearances in 2024 after shoulder problems cost him close to four months of the Triple-A season. Yankees manager told reporters (including ) earlier this week that Beeter was dealing with another shoulder i sue during the offseason but is back throwing side se sions. Shifting Beeter to the pen makes sense as a bigger-picture move in the pitchers career, and the Yankees have enough rotation options on hand that they can probably afford to remove a starter from the depth chart. The club has six starting candidates on the active roster alone depending on s status as either a reliever , and such pitchers as , , and are available at Triple-A. New York also brought in on a waiver claim, and signed longtime veteran to a minor league contract. Since Beeter has two minor league options remaining, Sherman suggests that the right-hander will probably begin the 2025 season in Triple-A. This will also allow Beeter to more fully ramp up after his injury-plagued 2024 campaign, and get used to his new bullpen role. If all goes well, Beeter should receive a call-up at some point next season once injuries or a need for a fresh arm inevitably arises, and hell then get a chance to carve out a spot for himself as a regular member of the Yankees relief corps. Patty Mills Jersey