The Yankees are set to revamp their bullpen next season, with some pitchers—who had varying degrees of success—likely to be left behind, which might be a disappointment to some fans.
This past Friday, the team picked up Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Efros, Ian Hamilton, Jake Cousins, and minor league relief pitcher Michael Arias as non-tenders, just ahead of the deadline to offer contracts for next season.
Additionally, the Yankees secured one-year deals with utility player Oswaldo Cabrera for $1.2 million and right-hander Clark Schmidt for $4.5 million to sidestep arbitration.
Leiter stands out as the most notable non-tender, as he was on track to earn approximately $3 million in his final arbitration year.
The 34-year-old right-hander had a decent start this year, earning a promotion to a more prominent role, but by season’s end, he had lost favor, finishing with a 4.84 ERA over 59 games and 48 1/3 innings. Once again in October, he found himself off the Yankees’ postseason roster for the ALDS.
Efros, who came over from the Cubs back in 2022, also faced challenges similar to Leiter, primarily due to injuries that disrupted his performance. His return was hampered by Tommy John surgery in October 2022, followed by hip surgery in 2023.
He managed to play in three games in 2024, posting a 5.40 ERA, but then suffered a hamstring injury on the first pitch of his second game of spring training this year, limiting him to just 11 games with an 8.44 ERA; he never fully bounced back.
Cousins had shown promise as a high-leverage relief pitcher leading into the 2024 World Series but underwent Tommy John surgery in June, which will keep him sidelined until at least next summer.
As for Hamilton, he was initially viewed as a great get during a tough 2023 season, but struggled in the latter part of the year, ending with a 4.28 ERA across 36 games before he was optioned to Triple-A at the trade deadline and didn’t return.
