Adam Ottavino signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Yankees ahead of the 2019 season. It’s not often that relievers collect an average of $9 million per year. One can tell, just by looking at how much he makes, that the right-hander is A) very talented, and B) was coveted at the moment he put pen to paper.
Yet, Ottavino struggled badly in last year’s playoffs, especially in the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros. In 2.1 innings, he allowed six hits and four runs, three of them earned. His command was off, and because of that, Aaron Boone stopped trusting him in high-leverage situations.