Yankees Reportedly Release Veteran RHP David Hale in Surprising Move

The New York Yankees have a lot of extra time to decide who the fifth starter will be once the coronavirus-induced shutdown of baseball is lifted. One player who will not number among the potential choices is veteran right-hander David Hale.

Hale, who has been a reliever for New York, was released by the Yankees on Thursday, which is surprising given how he pitched in 2019.

The 32-year-old has bounced around to teams like the Twins, Rockies, and Braves over the course of his career, but was quite the pleasant surprise for the Yankees in 2019. He went 3-0 with a 3.11 ERA in 20 games with the Yankees, finishing 10 of them and saving two while putting up a solid ERA+ of 144 (100 is average).

Hale, who at one point had a dog in the fight to be named the No. 5 starter in the spring, has been cut loose by the Yankees, who will need to look elsewhere to find a reliever that can pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen.

Then again, the veteran has been cut by the Yankees in the past, only to return at a later date. There's still a chance that he wiggles back onto the MLB roster at some point.