The 2026 Yankees pitching staff will evolve as recovering starting pitchers are inserted throughout the season, thus requiring flexibility.
So with their first major league free agent move of the offseason, the Yankees brought back a pitcher known for his flexibility.
Swingman Ryan Yarbrough is in agreement on a one-year contract to return to the Yankees, a source confirmed Monday, after a strong first season in The Bronx.
The deal, pending a physical and first reported by FanSided, contains a base salary of $2.5 million with an extra $250,000 in performance bonuses, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported.
Yarbrough, signed just before the start of last season, began his tenure in the bullpen, then assumed a rotation spot amid injuries and became a revelation.
The Yankees are re-signing pitcher Ryan Yarbrough. JASON SZENES/NY POST
In eight starts in May and June, he was barely touched outside of an eight-run blowup against Boston.
In his seven other starts, he allowed just one or two runs and stepped up in a time of need.
An oblique strain knocked the lefty out until September, when he returned as a lengthy bullpen arm. He finished his season with a 4.36 ERA in 64 innings in 19 games (eight starts).
Yarbrough, 34 next month, likely will be asked to start and relieve, probably in that order, next season as well.
The Yankees will begin next season without Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery), Carlos Rodón (bone spur) and Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John).
It is possible that Cole and Rodón only miss a month or so — although these are best-case scenarios at this point — while Schmidt would return sometime in the second half.
That leaves the Yankees with Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil and Will Warren in the starting rotation to begin the season.
Barring another free agent addition, Yarbrough could break camp as the No. 5 (with the in-house competition including Allan Winans and prospects Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and Carlos Lagrange).
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If Yarbrough is not the fifth starter, he could be another lefty behind Tim Hill in the bullpen.
“We have pitching depth, but it’s going to be challenged early,” general manager Brian Cashman said last week. “We’ll be exploring how to protect ourselves so we’re not taking on water early because our rotation is compromised out of the gate.
“Certainly can’t wait to get those guys back — Cole and Rodón especially — but yeah, [the rotation is] an area for us to focus on.”
Yarbrough has started 76 of 215 games pitched over his eight-year career.