Yankees sign Hideki Okajima to a minor league deal

Hideki Okajima signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees. He pitched five seasons for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 to 2011. His best seasons came in 2007 and 2008. He pitched to a 2.22 ERA and 2.61 ERA in each year respectively.

Okajima is a lefty known for his awkward yet effective windup. The Yankees have needed a solid lefty for years. Damaso Marte and Boone Logan are two of the Yankees lefty relievers of recent years. Both have shown glimpses of success, but they are nothing more than mediocre. Okajima is a shot in the dark. He could be healthy and return to his past success. Or he could completely fail. The Yankees took risks last year with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. They need to keep making these gambles to succeed.