The Yankees may not have a catcher or a right fielder, but at least they have the best closer of all time.
Mariano Rivera’s return to The Bronx finally became official yesterday after the 43-year-old passed a physical and agreed to a one-year deal worth $10 million plus incentives.
It’s a decrease from the $15 million he made a year ago, when his season was cut short in May when he tore his ACL shagging a fly ball in Kansas City.
Rivera toyed with the idea of retirement following the Yankees’ loss to the Tigers in the ALCS before opting to come back for one more year. He reiterated the injury played a role in his decision.
“I didn’t want that to be the last image,” Rivera said of being carted off the field. “But it wasn’t an easy decision because there’s more than just baseball with me. I have to consider my family and the church, too. But I feel like we have a great group of guys and a team that can compete for a championship. I’m not just coming back to play. I’m coming back to win.”
Despite his age, Rivera showed no signs of slowing down, and the Yankees wanted him to return for plenty of reasons. Among them was the chance to sign another player to a one-year deal to give them payroll flexibility heading into 2014.
Rivera’s re-signing could spell the end of Rafael Soriano’s time with the Yankees. When Soriano replaced Rivera, the Yankees hardly missed a beat, but Soriano’s desire for a multi-year deal may make him too expensive.
While not ruling it out, general manager Brian Cashman said yesterday adding more arms to the bullpen isn’t a priority — not with unanswered questions in the lineup.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Cashman said of making further moves for relievers. “We have much more pressing needs.”