BaseballYankees Add Scott Baker on Minors Deal by Staff Post January 30, 2015 Getty Images The New York Yankees have singed free agent pitcher Scott Baker to a minor league contract, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America.Baker, 33, will give the Yanks some depth in their starting rotation during the 2015 season. While the staff is currently filled, Baker provides some insurance should Chris Capuano struggle as the fifth starter or if the likes of Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia or Ivan Nova deal with new injuries or set backs to preexisting conditions. Nova is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and is not expected back until mid-season.Baker himself has dealt with his share of health issues over the years. The righty showed plenty of promise with the Minnesota Twins early on his career, winning 38 games between 2008 and 2010, averaging 181 innings a season and 4.11 ERA. He was never an ace, but a solid middle of the rotation pitcher for sure.Baker’s numbers fell off a bit in 2011 due to injury and then underwent Tommy John surgery during the spring of 2012. Once a key part of Minnesota’s rotation, Baker has not been the same since. Since the surgery he has started a total of 11 games while pitching in a total of 28 for the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers the last two years. He ended up with 5.17 ERA in 95.2 innings of work in that span.With spring training fast approaching, it will be interesting to see where Baker ends up on Opening Day. The Yankees just gave Capuano a brand-new $5 million contract, so one would have to assume they prefer him to be the guy that holds down the fifth rotation spot until Nova comes back. However, if Baker outshines the veteran lefty, it could very well be him who wins the job. Of course, there is also concern for injury when talking about the rest of this rotation. Keep in mind that the Yankees used 13 different starting pitchers in 2014.If Baker is needed, New York is hoping he can harness the potential he showed while with the Twins. How soon and how often they will need him remains to be seen.As they say, you can never have enough pitching. Post Views: 1,197The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest PostsStaff PostLatest posts by Staff Post (see all) In The Zone Announces Initial Podcast Lineup - November 13, 2020 The Essential Resources You Need to Start Your Own Gym in 2020 - February 6, 2020 Wilder vs Fury II – How the second fight will be different to the first? - February 5, 2020 Early turnovers, defensive struggles plague the Scarlet Knights - January 26, 2020 Related TopicsChris CapuanoIvan NovaNew York YankeesScott Bakerstarting pitching Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.Newsletter SubscriptionCan't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: Podcast Host, New York Riptide Sideline Reporter, Dani Wexelman by Luke Porco | posted on March 3, 2020 Exclusive Interview: SNY Personality, Maria Marino, Shares Career Journey (VIDEO) by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on January 28, 2021 A Look at Paternity Leave in MLB as Trout Becomes a Dad by Elizabeth DiPietro | posted on August 5, 2020 5 Tips for Going to Your First Baseball Game by Guest | posted on February 10, 2020 Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019More in Baseball You Know I’m Right, Episode 112: New York Jets’ Insider Brian Costello (Audio/Video)On the 112th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video)On the 109th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 108: WFAN’s Sweeny Murti (Audio/Video)On the 108th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 107: New York Post’s Columnist Mike Vaccaro (Audio/Video)On the 107th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Red Bulls Continue to Reload With Signing Of Sacha Kljestan Jeff Horohonich Named DoubleGSports.com 2014 High School Coach of the Year