TAMPA — Lefty reliever Chasen Shreve took a good look around the Yankees’ clubhouse before Sunday’s first full-squad spring training practice, then stated, “There are a lot of lefties in here.”
One more is joining the crowd … a familiar name to Mets fans.
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Free agent Jon Niese agreed to terms on a minor-league deal pending a passed physical, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported early Sunday evening.
The pact, which is believed to come with an invite to big-league spring training, was confirmed by NJ Advance Media’s Brendan Kuty.
Assuming Niese is healthy, he’ll become the 13th left-hander in Yankees’ camp and probably will be thrown into a mix that will compete this spring for two open rotation spots.
Niese, 30, has a career 69-68 record and 4.07 ERA in 211 games, 197 as a starter, pitching for the Mets (2008-2015, 2016) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2016).
Neise is coming off a down 2016 season. The 6-foot-3 Ohio native was traded after the 2015 season to Pittsburgh in the Neil Walker deal and was 8-6 with a 4.91 ERA for the Pirates in 23 games, 18 as a starter, before returned to the Mets in an Aug. 1 trade for reliever Antonio Bastardo. In his second Mets stint, he inished the season going 0-1 with an 11.45 ERA in six games, two starts.
Niese has had strong seasons in the Mets’ rotation, his best campaign coming in 2012 when he was 13-9 with a 3.40 ERA in 30 starts.
Niese’s competition for a Yankees starter’s spot would be five righties … Luis Severino, Adam Warren. Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell. Any of the six, Niese included, also could open the season in the Yankees’ bullpen.
Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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