The nightmare just won’t end for Jake Bird. Once seen as a potential bullpen boost for the New York Yankees, the 29-year-old right-hander is now struggling to survive in Triple-A — and his latest outing was another disaster.
On Wednesday, Bird took the mound for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders against the Indianapolis Indians, tasked with protecting a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning.
It started poorly — he hit the first batter he faced — but after recording two quick outs, it looked like he might escape trouble. Instead, the meltdown came fast. Bird surrendered an RBI single before being pulled. Things got worse when his replacement, Jayvien Sandridge, uncorked a wild pitch to bring in another run, followed by yet another RBI single that officially closed the book on Bird’s night.
Final line: ⅔ innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, and 25 pitches (15 for strikes). His ERA in Triple-A now sits at a staggering 13.50 after just three appearances.
The Yankees demoted Bird last week after three ugly big-league appearances in which he gave up six earned runs in just two innings. That rapid fall from grace came after the team had acquired him before the trade deadline in hopes he’d stabilize the bullpen.
But scouts had already sounded the alarm. According to Newsday’s Erik Boland on the Foul Territory podcast, rival evaluators were concerned Bird had been “run into the ground” earlier in the year with the Colorado Rockies.
Overworked and Overexposed
The numbers tell the story. Before the trade, Bird logged 45 appearances with Colorado, including a grueling stretch:
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April: 12 appearances
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May: 10 appearances
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June: 13 appearances
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July: 9 appearances with a brutal 19.89 ERA, allowing 14 earned runs and three homers in just 6 ⅓ innings
That July collapse turned off multiple suitors. The Yankees still took the gamble — but so far, it’s been all bust.
Bird was part of general manager Brian Cashman’s flurry of deadline moves, joining a bullpen that also added David Bednar and Camilo Doval. Bednar has since taken over closing duties, while Bird has been relegated to trying to salvage his season in Triple-A.
At this rate, the only thing he’s closing is the door on a quick return to the Bronx.