By Jackson RobertsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe New York Yankees know that stockpiling pitchers is never a bad idea, and they've lived that mantra early in the offseason.
Last week, the Yankees signed Ryan Yarbrough to a one-year major league contract, and they also elevated promising prospects Chase Hampton and Elmer Rodríguez to the 40-man roster. But every team is in the market for minor-league depth with major league upside at this time of year, particularly a Yankees squad with some injury concerns on the current pitching staff.
Earlier this week, the Yankees made an under-the-radar signing to bolster that depth.
...According to the official Major League Baseball transactions log, the Yankees signed 28-year-old right-hander Yerry Rodríguez to a minor-league contract. Rodríguez did not pitch in affiliated baseball during the regular season after his release from the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he has three partial seasons of MLB experience under his belt.
MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams reported Monday that the deal for Rodríguez is a two-year agreement, as the righty underwent Tommy John surgery this spring and is targeting a midseason return to game action. So while he's not a candidate to help the team early in the season, he could be a reinforcement piece if injuries take their toll elsewhere.
Rodríguez doesn't exactly have a track record of big-league success, as he's pitched to an 8.17 ERA in 30 career outings to this point, totaling 36 1/3 innings. He first debuted with the Texas Rangers in 2022, with whom he signed as an amateur in 2015, then was traded to the Blue Jays in July of last year after being designated for assignment.
The beauty of baseball, and of pitching in particular, is that one tweak can take someone from a fringe piece to a key contributor if done properly. There's no way to know whether the Yankees will ever find that tweak for Rodríguez, but they have to at least like their chances.
More MLB: Don Mattingly Admits Blue Jays’ Biggest Mistake in Game 7 vs. Dodgers
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