The Yankees have signed RHP Yerry Rodriguez to a two-year Minor League contract according to MLB Trade Rumors, taking a flier on a hard-throwing reliever who is recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
He’s expected to return in the middle of the 2026 season, but in his MLB career has pitched to an 8.17 ERA in 30 appearances, serving mainly as a bullpen piece.
Rodriguez pitches most recently for the Rangers and Blue Jays in 2024 before the UCL tear in Spring Training when he was with the Pirates.
New York has excelled at finding reliever talent on the market, and the Yankees are targeting more hard-throwers over the offseason to improve their organization’s fastball quality.
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Yankees Ink Yerry Rodriguez On No-Risk Bullpen Gamble
The Yankees want to add more velocity to their bullpen and Yerry Rodriguez is a minor upgrade for that part of their roster as a Minor League addition.
He has struggled mightily in the big leagues, but his excellent velocity and lower arm slot could make him an interesting option midseason for their bullpen.
As the team continues to navigate through its offseason, expect them to make numerous Minor League additions to take fliers on players who could potentially boost their bullpen.
Yerry De Los Santos and Brent Headrick were solid depth relievers who were added after teams either non-tendered or DFA’d them, and Rodriguez aims to become another lottery ticket turned bullpen star with the Yankees.
His pitch shapes leave a lot to be desired, not having the vertical movement on his fastball or big break on his slider, but he sports a changeup with good movement that the Yankees could hone in on.