More than a decade after the “Killer B’s” were the hot trio of Yankees pitching prospects, the third and final member is set to make his Yankees debut.
The Yankees announced Thursday afternoon that they have purchased the contract of LHP Manny Banuelos from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he will be in uniform for Thursday night’s game in St. Petersburg against the Rays.
The Yankees had an open 40-man roster spot after designating catcher Rob Brantly for assignment on Wednesday, and the team announced Brantly cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A.
Banuelos, 31, signed a minor-league deal over the winter after splitting 2021 between the Mexican League and the Chinese Professional Baseball League, as well as pitching for Team Mexico in the Beijing Olympics.
The lefty was originally signed as an international free agent by the Yankees in March 2008, and along with Dellin Betances and Andrew Brackman, the “Killer B’s” were heralded in a way similar to the Mets’ “Generation K” years earlier.
Unfortunately, arm injuries and other issues kept ManBan from ever reaching MLB in pinstripes, and he was dealt to Atlanta for RHP David Carpenter and LHP Chasen Shreve on New Year’s Day 2015.
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Banuelos made his MLB debut with the Braves that year and has made 23 MLB appearances (14 starts) with the 2015 Braves and 2019 White Sox, posting a 6.31 ERA in 77 innings pitched.
However, he starred this spring for the Yankees, and in Triple-A, he had a 2.35 ERA in seven games (five starts) spanning 30 2/3 innings.
Banuelos, when he pitches, will make his Yankees debut, the last of trio to do so. Betances posted a 2.36 ERA and struck out 633 batters in 394 1/3 innings over parts of eight years in pinstripes and was one of the top relievers in baseball from 2014-18, but he missed almost all of 2019 due to multiple injuries and only pitched 12 2/3 innings over two seasons with the Mets in 2020-21.
Brackman, the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2007, made just three MLB appearances, all as a Yankee, throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings over three games in 2011.
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