Paul Blackburn

Paul Blackburn was an All-Star once. In 2022, he represented the Oakland Athletics in the Midsummer Classic after a strong first half that had him looking like one of the best starters in the American League. Three years and two organizations later, he signed with the New York Yankees and pitched out of the bullpen. Baseball careers don't always follow a straight line.

Path to the Bronx

Blackburn was originally a compensatory first-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2012 draft. He got traded to Seattle, then to Oakland, where he spent the bulk of his career. He debuted with the A's in 2017 and spent seven seasons in green and gold, with the 2022 All-Star nod as the high-water mark. That year, he went 7-6 with a 4.28 ERA across 21 starts.

The A's traded him to the Mets at the 2024 deadline for pitcher Kade Morris. Blackburn made five starts for New York, posting a 5.18 ERA, and became a free agent after the season. On August 21, 2025, the Yankees signed him to a major league deal, hoping his experience and pitch mix could help stabilize the bullpen down the stretch.

Yankees Career

Blackburn's Yankee debut was rough -- seven runs in 3.1 innings against Boston. But after that? He settled in nicely. Over his remaining seven appearances, he gave up just three runs (two earned) with a 14-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 12 innings. The final line -- eight appearances, 5.28 ERA, 15.1 innings -- looks worse than it was because of that one bad outing.

The veteran knows how to pitch. He doesn't overpower anyone, but he locates, changes speeds, and can give you multiple innings out of the pen -- the kind of role that former starters tend to fill well.

Key Moments

The Role

Blackburn is the veteran long reliever -- the guy who can soak up innings when a starter gets knocked out early or throw two clean frames in a blowout to save the late-inning arms. He's been in the league since 2017 and knows how to navigate a lineup even when his best stuff isn't there. At 31, he's not rebuilding his career -- he's finding a way to stay useful on a contending team.

The shift from starter to reliever suited Blackburn better than you'd think. He doesn't overpower hitters -- he never did, even during the All-Star season -- but he locates, changes speeds, and keeps hitters off-balance by mixing four pitches with precision. That approach can fall apart over six or seven innings when a lineup sees you a third time, but in two-inning relief stints, it's effective. Hitters don't get enough looks to time him up. After that brutal debut against Boston (seven runs, and the Yankees' bullpen phone probably didn't stop ringing), he figured out the role. His final seven appearances told the real story: three runs allowed in 12 innings with a 14-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. That's a guy who knows how to pitch, even if the overall numbers don't scream it.

There's something to be said for a pitcher who's been through three organizations in two years and still competes. Blackburn went from All-Star starter to Oakland's declining roster to the Mets' rental market to free agency to the Yankees' bullpen -- and at every stop, he showed up and did the work. He's not going to anchor a rotation again, but that's fine. Every contending team needs a reliever who's thrown 800-plus big league innings and doesn't panic when things get sideways. Blackburn is that guy.