Dellin Betances Gives Heartfelt Thanks to Yankees During Mets Introductory Press Conference
By Michael Luciano
The New York Mets introduced one of their biggest offseason signings on Thursday.
Former New York Yankees reliever Dellin Betances was officially coronated as a Met after signing a one-year deal with the team in free agency. Now reunited with former teammate Carlos Beltran, but still in his home city of New York, Betances took the time to thank the Yankees for giving him the opportunity to play in Yankee pinstripes and live out his childhood dream.
Betances on the Yankees: "I thank the Steinbrenner family for allowing me to live out my dream, I thank Cashman for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream to be a Yankee...I love the guys that are there...I have a lot of family there...I wish them nothing but the best."
— Dan Federico (@DanJFederico) January 2, 2020
Betances pitched to just two batters in 2019, as a host of injuries, including a major Achilles injury, pretty much robbed him of an entire season. Still, when the four-time All-Star is healthy, he might be the most unhittable reliever in all of baseball, as evidenced by his career 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings rate.
Betances, a New York native his whole life, should help a Mets bullpen that was one of the most laughable in the league after Edwin Diaz's regression in 2019.
Dellin Betances:
— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) January 2, 2020
• Born in Manhattan
• Went to HS in Brooklyn
• Made his pro debut in Staten Island
• Pitched in 350+ games in the Bronx
• Will play next season in Queens pic.twitter.com/DtVRktyJi6
Betances might have swapped boroughs as he looks to rebuild his value, but he's still appreciative of his decade-long stint in the Bronx.