TAMPA — Your locker’s location in a baseball clubhouse speaks volumes about your status.
Two years ago, in Port St. Lucie, Jon Niese dressed alongside Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Dillon Gee. Last year, in Bradenton, you found him in the same corner as Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano and Jeff Locke.
Now, at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the veteran lefty prepares for his day next to an unoccupied locker, held by Johnny Barbato before his demotion to the minors. Chad Green and Ben Heller, both likely to wind up at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barres, share his row, which takes up the middle of the room while the prime real estate lines the walls.
“That just goes to show you how quick things can change,” Niese said Friday, smiling, after most of his teammates took off for the Yankees’ game against the Tigers in Lakeland.
The recipient of the first long-term contract Sandy Alderson signed as the Mets’ general manager, Niese wears the Yankees’ pinstripes on a minor league contract, needing to earn his spot on the 2017 club.
He views this potential crisis as a chance to rebrand himself as a reliever and take the next step on what needn’t be the stretch drive of his baseball life.
“That’s what happens when you’re in my situation: You get hurt on your option year and you become a free agent, and all of a sudden, teams aren’t quite sure about you,” Niese said. “So you just have to pitch your way back. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”
Just about five years ago, Niese and the Mets signed off on a five-year, $25 million extension that featured team options for 2017 ($10 million) and 2018 ($10.5 million), a deal that worked out well for both sides. When the Pirates traded Neil Walker for Niese in December 2015, Pittsburgh viewed the team control as alluring. Yet Niese put up a 4.91 ERA in 23 appearances (18 starts) for the Pirates, who traded him back to the Mets on Aug. 1. After just six games (two starts) for the Mets, the left-hander had left knee surgery, and the Mets faced an easy decision in buying out the team option they had negotiated for $500,000.
With an abundance of pitching available on the free-agent market, Niese had to settle for the Yankees’ non-roster invitation. He will earn $1.25 million, with another $750,000 attainable in incentives, if he makes the club.
“It was tough,” Niese said. “It’s a tough business to be in, but at the same time, it gave me this opportunity here with the Yankees. I can’t totally be down on myself about it. I’m looking forward to embracing this bullpen role. Hopefully it can springboard my career.”
As a 30-year-old southpaw, Niese has time on his side. Given he historically pitched worse further into his starts, a condition common among starters, switching him to the bullpen carries logic.
Manager Joe Girardi, aggressive in lifting his starters, once again will try to build a deep relief corps with many arms he can trust.
Niese has thrown three hitless innings over three games and allowed one run with one walk and two strikeouts. His velocity has ticked up to 87 mph.
“Basically, I’m just treating those three outs as a game,” Niese said. “I’m more keyed in on that inning. I like that. I like the adrenaline rush when I’m down in the bullpen and I know I’m going to be going in. It’s fun.”
“He came in a little bit later, so we’re just trying to just take him through the paces, put him through the process and get him ready,” Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. “He’s pitched well. We’ll see. It’s just going to be how much progress we can make as we go.”
Rothschild helped Niese change the grip on his changeup in the hopes of making it more effective, and Niese expressed encouragement over the early returns. His career change could be lucrative. First, though, he has to earn the right to move — to a guaranteed contract, and to Yankee Stadium, where every locker location is a good one.