Adam Ottavino on joining Yankees: 'A dream come true'

There’s a photo of Adam Ottavino in the field-level seats at Yankee Stadium. The jersey he’s wearing is oversized, and the sleeves reach his elbows. He’s wearing a cap and white pants that look suspiciously as if they could have stirrups.

He’s 9 years old.

Given all that history, yes, this is exciting and special and a little unbelievable, the righthanded reliever said Friday, a day after the Yankees made his signing official. And it’s not just because his jersey probably will fit this time.

It’s “a dream come true for sure,” said Ottavino, 33, who last week agreed to a three-year, $27-million contract, according to baseball sources — further bolstering a bullpen that arguably is the best in baseball. “It’s super-exciting. It’s something that I didn’t really think that would happen in my career, but it was always the plan to make it happen if possible . . . The Yankees were one of the first teams in the free-agency process to reach out and [that] obviously got me excited, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

“So I just tried to be open-minded, but there was a small spot in my heart that really wanted to be a Yankee the whole time.”

Ottavino went 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA, six saves and 112 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings with the Rockies last season. In his eight-year career, he has a 3.68 ERA and a 2.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The Yankees have told him they plan to be judicious with that jewel that is their bullpen and use each reliever in a way that doesn’t overly tax one arm. Ottavino joins another offseason acquisition — Zach Britton, who re-signed with the Yankees  — along with Dellin Betances and closer Aroldis Chapman. Throw Chad Green and Jonathan Holder into the mix, and that's a formidable relief corps.

Ottavino said he expects to see a lot of righty-righty  matchups and make full use of his devastating slider, but also his cutter and two-seamer. He expects the latter two to have more movement now that he isn’t playing half his games at a higher altitude in Colorado. “It should be a little easier for me to be consistent because I don’t have to constantly adjust being at sea level,” he said.

 Ottavino, the first Yankee to wear No. 0, will be the only Yankee wearing a single-digit jersey, given that all the others have been retired.

In all, Ottavino hopes the reality of pitching with the Yankees will be as good as the dream. The scrutiny will be intense in the Bronx — both by fans and the many people he knows in the area. They’re rooting for him, though.

Ottavino grew up in Brooklyn, went to Berkeley Carroll High School and lived in that borough until he went to Northeastern. He has family and friends all over the city.

Understandably, news that the hometown boy was coming home in pinstripes was met with a whole lot of attention, and probably even more excitement. He’s already talked to family here about limiting distractions and not being consumed by local media coverage of his performances. But he’s enjoying the well wishes, too.

“The people close to me know how much it means to me, so I felt really good with all the nice things people have been reaching out and saying,” he said. “I just want to go out there and make them proud.”

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.