“Being the Yankees, generally when they’re in contention, they’re moving pieces around, but not looking at money,” Thornton said. “Maybe I overvalued myself. I thought I was an important part of the bullpen and important piece to the team that was trying to fight for a playoff spot.”
Prior to being sent to Washington, as you may already know, the veteran left-hander struggled mightily in games such as July 10's loss to the Indians and July 21's to the Rangers, in which he allowed two earned runs and four inherited runners to score.
Still, overall Thornton was okay during his time in The Bronx, putting together a solid 2.55 ERA in 24 2/3 innings.
Add on the fact #48's more experienced and probably better than any other option the team has and it's understandable for him to get caught off guard by last week's move, even if he wasn't always the most reliable.
Remember, since Thornton and his two-year/$7 million contract were dealt eight days ago Rich Hill has been brought up from Triple-A, actually doing alright in his first four appearances.
