Nov. 21: De Los Santos indeed signed a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post, further adding that the righty would earn $900K upon making the roster. De Los Santos also has out clauses in the deal on June 1 and July 1.
Nov. 20: The Yankees have an agreement with reliever Yerry De Los Santos, his representatives at Epitome Sports Management announced on Instagram. While the agency didn’t specify the terms, it’s very likely a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
De Los Santos became a free agent two weeks ago after he went unclaimed on waivers. That ended his career-long tenure with the Pirates. The righty signed with Pittsburgh as an amateur in 2014. He got to the big leagues eight years later, tossing 25 2/3 innings of 4.91 ERA ball as a rookie. He took on a similar workload this past season, tallying 24 1/3 frames over 26 MLB appearances.
The 25-year-old (26 next month) turned in a 3.33 ERA for the Bucs this year. That’s a solid mark on the surface but comes with an underwhelming strikeout and walk profile. He handed out free passes at a 12.5% clip while punching out a well below-average 17.3% of batters faced. De Los Santos had only slightly better strikeout and walk numbers in Triple-A, where he was tagged for a 6.12 ERA over 25 innings.
That combination of middling control and a subpar whiff rate led teams to opt against devoting him a 40-man roster spot when he hit waivers. He’s a sensible target for the Yankees as a non-roster addition, however. New York tends to prioritize ground-ball arms in the late innings. They’ve led the majors in ground-ball percentage from their relief corps in consecutive seasons.
De Los Santos fits the mold. He relies primarily on a sinker that averaged 95 MPH at the big league level. That has resulted in a grounder rate north of 53% in his MLB career. (The league average for relievers sat at 43.6% this year.) De Los Santos has a pair of minor league options remaining. If he cracks the MLB roster, the Yankees could move him between the Bronx and Triple-A without exposing him to waivers.
TrillionaireTeamOperator
Big Money Droppin.
Big Moves Poppin.
Yankees Doing Big Things.
Poem By Sarcasm
FletcherFan69
Craig Breslow asleep at the wheel AGAIN!!!! He had a chance to acquire a pitcher with a 3.33 ERA last year and he BLEW IT!!!
TrillionaireTeamOperator
In all seriousness I never count the Yankees out on doing something genuinely seismic, but I have a feeling they’re gonna basically stand pat unless they manage to swing a high profile trade that would effectively be a 1 to 1 swap for two guys who might benefit a little from a change of scenery, but it won’t actually improve the team overall.
*Cough* Torres for Verdugo *Cough*
LordD99
The Yankees would never do Torres-for-Verdugo. That speculation was manufactured by a Boston writer.
luckyh
I wouldn’t want Torres for Verdugo.
The_M4N
Right? I mean Cash is a pretty bad GM, but not Torres for Verdugo bad.
al_pooholes
I hope you are right man.
RSmith
“Right? I mean Cash is a pretty bad GM, but not Torres for Verdugo bad.”
There would obviously be another part going to the Yankees in the deal. You guys do know that more than 2 players are allowed to be in a trade right? SMH
Torres for Verdugo and (Pick One) Brainer Bonaci, Shane Drohan, Brandon Walters, Chase Meidroth
Captain-Judge99
Why because Verdugo is better then Torres? Keep dreaming.
The_M4N
@RSmith, you are outside the scope of the comment which was “cough torres for verdugo”. Idkay, but to me that’s says 1-1 trade.
RSmith
“Idkay, but to me that’s says 1-1 trade.”
What are you talking about? There are always extra parts going back and forth in a trade. Im tired of hearing how this is a ‘Boston Media Story Plant’ and dumb thing like that.
If the trade is lopsided just add a part to even it up. Yankee fans have to stop being so simple minded.
RSmith
Captain Judge: “Why because Verdugo is better then Torres? Keep dreaming.”
Who said that? I said “There would obviously be another part going to the Yankees”
The_M4N
Alrighty then!!!
Poolhalljunkies
Again?
FletcherFan69
He could have signed Nola, Lynn, Lopez, and even Joe FREAKING Jimenez and he DIDNT!!!! It’s Chaim Bloom all over again!!!!
User 3044878754
Yankees steal De Los Santos, a pretty good Guardians reliever last year
angryyankeesfan1
Wrong De Los Santos. That guy’s now in San Diego
Robertowannabe1
And Cashman now says “Wait wha??? NOOOOO!!!!! “ and face palms muttering wrong santos…..
JohnFisher’s$1BlumpkinSpecial
Terrible haiku
TrillionaireTeamOperator
Probably because it’s not a haiku. I didn’t think that long or deep about it.
I have a degree in writing and literature.
But I did not bother to use it for that poem just now
But I think this will suffice for a haiku for you
There ya go. A haiku. Still terrible. But technically a haiku.
JohnFisher’s$1BlumpkinSpecial
I was just joking, but I appreciate you following up with a haiku. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a haiku, 5-7-5 mang.
TrillionaireTeamOperator
13-15-13 still works for me.
Look here’s a haiku
Are ya finally happy
In Five seven five
JohnFisher’s$1BlumpkinSpecial
Haha. My man!
Big money droppin
Yankees doing them big things
Big moves poppin off
I made your original a haiku as a thanks
TrillionaireTeamOperator
Very impressive
A tip of my cap to you
Talkin’ Yankees Pen
Paleobros
Terms unspecified
Likely a minors contract
To train in the spring
JohnFisher’s$1BlumpkinSpecial
I am happy that
There is another poster
Willing to do this
TrillionaireTeamOperator
What Have I Started
How To Kill That With No Life
Pop Culture Reference
Paleobros
The deal is complete
Stands to make $900k
If he makes the team
agentx
JohnFisher’s$1 and Trillionaire, your unexpected haiku banter brought a smile to my face this morning. Thank you.
BPax
Any relation to Little Yerry Seinfeld the cockfighter?
mrmackey
More Pittsburgh Clay for Blake to mold.
Robertowannabe1
Clay had a bunch more stuff to mold than Yerry can dream about……
deweybelongsinthehall
The Yankees first big move of the off season …seriously, all teams make these moves …
SalaryCapMyth
We just seem to have a stupid tradition where someone has to crack one of those “Looks like (any team name here) is SERIOUS about the world series now” sarcastic jokes.
MattyD 2
World Series here we come!!
I’m kidding
misterfigs
Well if history is any indicator, he’ll lead the league in saves this coming season.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Holds… Clay Holmes will lead the league in leads.
YankeesBleacherCreature
*saves
misterfigs
Well, it’s all relative. Clay. Cole Glasnow. Morton. Others. They leave here and learn to pitch
jdgoat
People will make dumb “dumpster diving” comments but this is a decent guy to take a flyer on. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if he eventually figured it out and became a legit bullpen option.
TrillionaireTeamOperator
The Yankees have their issues but they are legitimately in the elite group of teams when it comes to putting together impressive bullpens out of spare parts the past few years.
They manage to get a lot of under the radar guys on fliers and get maximum value out of them for 1-3 seasons a piece, it seems.
Fever Pitch Guy
Trill – Starting pitchers too, ie Cortes.
TrillionaireTeamOperator
Well, Cortes was originally a reliever and as much as I love Cortes, yes, it appears he was gassed after just two full seasons.
agentx
Decent enough for a rebuilding team with whom De Los Santos would not likely sign to take in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft?
Would be unorthodox but not unprecedented.
mlb1225
YDLS has some potential, but seems to always be injured. Decent sinker/slider, but average command at best.
JackStrawb
True, and he’ll pitch 20-25 innings in 2024 when everyone else is hurt.
HatlessPete
This is a good move when evaluated on its own merits. The stove is only just heating up yall. We aren’t going to be in a position to grade off-seasons for a few months yet
VonPurpleHayes
This is Yerry solid move.
whyhayzee
They’ve led the majors in ground-ball percentage from their relief corps in consecutive seasons, and probably led the majors in overused burned up pitchers as well. You can count the number of injured pitchers on two hands and a foot or two. This guy will probably wind up with 60 innings in four months and a blown out arm. But he’ll have a good ERA, because they have the best bullpen in baseball.
TrillionaireTeamOperator
I detect no lies in your comment, whyhayzee.
CardsFan57
Every team needs bullpen depth. He’s a nice addition.
LordD99
Give him a Spring Training with Matt Blake. Yankees build bullpens as well as any team. Wish they could do that with their hitters!
808sAndMetsHeartbreaks
CASHGOD!
baseballteam
Yerry in Spanish is the same as Jerry in English.
Yanks2
Never heard of him
Tom the ray fan
Now trade andujar Frazier and delvi Garcia for Soto!
dasit
this is my weekly reminder that andujar and frazier were not overhyped busts, they were above-average players who got hurt. garcia is fair game, no idea what happened with him
Tom the ray fan
Or overhyped busts that got hurt… whatever makes your Yankee apologist personality happy.
dasit
not an apologist. we’ve had plenty of overhyped prospects (new york media bias plays a role) but andujar/frazier/bird are not among them
TrillionaireTeamOperator
I think the most overhyped prospect I can think of from the past 20 to 25 or so years has to be Jesus Montero.
In order of over overhyped-ness from the Yankees farm system:
1. Jesus Montero
2. Estevan Florial
3. Phil Hughes (although he basically went the distance on the Yankees pre-free agency, had flashes of true birilliance and had a perfectly middling career with a couple of “big” payday contracts, so he kinda technically worked out)
4. Clint Frazier
5. Joba Chamberlain (also technically had a sort of successful career)
6. Ian Kennedy (put it together after the Yankees and had a very good, very lucrative career)
7. Drew Henson
8. Brien Taylor
Etc. etc. bottom line is they’ve had a ton ton ton of guys we were hearing about as The Next Great Generation of Yankees who were either complete and total Quadruple-A or worse busts, or who had middling major league careers with very mixed results and didn’t remain as Yankees for a reason.
But then I think about guys like Aaron Judge, who seemingly came out of nowhere. I remember being tuned into the prospect stuff when Judge came up originally in 2016 and they talked about him a ton once he got called up, but before his call up to the majors, he was not on the big hype lists of prospects we were all waiting for with bated breath to realize their future HOF MVP calibre next-generation-of-Bernie-Derek-Jorge-etc. level pre-anointment..
Etc.
Can’t think of anybody truly overhyped right now, since Volpe came up and held his own and Austin Wells has yet to get a real shot.
There’s Spencer Jones and Chase Hampton.
I don’t consider Jasson Dominguez to be part of this because he was in the minors for such a relatively short amount of time and now with that immediate TJ surgery, who knows what we are or are not getting out of him.
Anthony maresca
Thorpe and Hampton are looking like the real deal and making it look rather easy. I am confident if Cashman renders both of these pitchers untouchable in trades they will be part of the rotation in 2023 and beyond. Thorpe imo will surprise many and just may end up making team out of ST. The key here is Yankees have to be patient when it comes to promoting pitchers something they rarely do. Thats why they never see homegrown starters thrive in the organization.
whyhayzee
Um, Volpe struck out more than once a game and was about 20% below league average as a hitter. The GG was ONLY because he’s on the Yankees.
He is definitely part of the over-hype.
dasit
way too early to tell
Wrian Washman
The Yankees are back baby!
dasit
yankees have screwed themselves in many ways but they build an above-average to elite bullpen year after year to the point where i take it for granted
TrillionaireTeamOperator
Man it pays to be Quadruple-A. Quadruple-A player who’s borderline and signing all these split contracts? Almost certainly get called up for a big chunk of a season- earn as much money as C-Suite Execs.
What a country. What an industry.
dasit
before the 3-batter rule any lefty with a pulse could build a career. paul freaking assenmacher is a millionaire
Anthony maresca
Is anyone on board if Yankees should see if they can trade Rodon by eating about $5 million yr of his existing contract to say San Francisco or another team with a pitchers park? Im certain he love to get out of NY as he looked miserable last year.
YankeesBleacherCreature
The problem with that is no team is going to trade for a $22MM/year oft-injured pitcher who is suppose to be at his physical peak. Why not just sign Jordan Montgomery? He looked miserable bc he was hurt and came back with bad mechanics. I don’t think it’s a NY thing.
Anthony maresca
His conditioning concerns me as he reminds my of a soft overweight body type thats not going to age well. Who in their right mind is calling the shots here as Rodon was an injury risk for years! Its the same crap signing free agents with a poor medical history and a reputation of being injured prone. A person with a brain can see the writing on the wall but Cashman!