Yankees Release Jon Niese: Why It Makes Perfect Sense

The Yankees announced pitcher Jon Niese was released from the team. Given the bullpen strength so far, this makes perfect sense.

When the Yankees signed Jon Niese to a minor league deal just before Spring Training, the decision was seemingly low-risk. Niese, a southpaw, split time with both the Pirates and Mets last season before becoming a free agent. He struggled quite significantly last season with both teams, which is why he was only able to get a minor league deal out of the Yankees.

He continued to struggle in Spring Training. In 6 games, he has an ERA of 4.50 with just six innings pitched in those games. It was evident he was not going to make the cut as a starting pitcher, but it…