Yankees sign former Toronto Blue Jays right-hander

Hours after it was reported that New York had cut ties with Mark Leiter Jr., it was announced they had signed right-handed relief pitcher Yerry Rodriguez to a minor league contract.

Agent Kelvin Nora indicated that it was a two-year pact for the 28 year-old Dominican, who is the midst of recovery from Tommy John surgery and is targeting a mid season return.

Rodriguez last played in a major league game in 2024, when he made four appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays, where he struggled to a 15.43 ERA with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

Prior to that, he had spent parts of three seasons with the Texas Rangers.

While he hasn't had much success in his limited major league experience, he has fared much better in the minor leagues, where he has garnered a 3.56 ERA over parts of eight seasons, with a strikeout rate of over 28% in his four years at Triple-A.

After being designated by the Jays, he was briefly picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates but was cut just prior to Spring.

As he will still be rehabbing come Spring Training, Rodriguez is unlikely to compete for a bullpen job until the summer, but should have an inside track on a job once he is fully healthy.

He is also out of options meaning that if the Yankees do decide to purchase his contract, he can't be sent back down without first being exposed to waivers.

If he ends up staying in the minors all next year, look for him to be a factor come 2027.