If this is it for Chad Green as a Yankee, the tenacious reliever deserves some respect for being a truly critical piece of the team’s success.
Green, 31, had Tommy John surgery that ended his 2022 season in May. The procedure came at an absolutely awful time for the right hander, who is now a free agent that lost most of his contract year to injury and likely wouldn’t be able to pitch in 2023 until the tail end of the year at the very soonest.
For the Yankees, who have won more games during Green’s tenure than any American League team outside of Houston, losing the veteran arm could leave a bigger impact than many people realize. While everyone with even a passing interest in the team knows the Yankees have hitched their wagon to relief pitching over the last few seasons, most probably don’t know just how valuable Green was. Since coming over in a trade with Detroit prior to the 2016 season, Green narrowly edges Aroldis Chapman for the distinction of Wins Above Replacement leader in the Yankees’ bullpen.
