The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with free agent right-hander Dennis Santana, reports Jessica Kleinschmidt. He’ll head to major league camp during spring training and compete for a bullpen job.
While it’s not the news Yankees fans are anxiously awaiting, Santana will add some depth with big league experience to the Yankees’ system. He spent the 2023 season with the Mets organization, where he tallied 10 2/3 innings at the MLB level and yielded seven runs in that time. The hard-throwing Santana has at times shown potential to be a steady big league reliever, but he’s yet to find much consistency at the MLB level.
Santana once ranked as one of the top pitching prospects in a deep Dodgers system, but his stock has fallen since injuries — most notably a torn rotator cuff in 2018 — slowed his development and eventually pushed him to a bullpen role. He’s spent time with the Dodgers, Rangers and Mets over the past three seasons, in addition to offseason waiver stops in Atlanta and Minnesota.
Overall, Santana carries a career 5.17 ERA in 149 2/3 MLB frames. He averaged 95.9 mph on his fastball last year and is at 96.2 mph for his career. Santana has whiffed 21.2% of his big league opponents and produced grounders at a solid 44.9% clip, but he’s also walked 12% of the batters he’s faced.
Yikes! A project for the future…
Let’s hear it for cancerous Soto heading to Dump town New York. If the Cat sized rats aren’t enough for you, you’ve got their obnoxious fans and Soto now.
You okay chief?
This is what’s been holding up the Soto deal.
And here I am thinking Jesse James is holding things up??
Soto just moved up a slot waiting at the physical exams Winter Meetings hotel suite. Dylan Cease has only taken four physicals with two more to go. In due time my friend…
Are you in Nashville?
Quadruple A pitching depth is always gonna happen even with big moves going on. Not surprising. Can never have too much pitching, right?
Imagine if this was Stearns. The Long Island loudmouths would need CPR
Oye Como Va
I thought this guy was cooked in 2019.
Great. Send him to San Diego instead of King, lol.
Expect this sort of headline a few more times in the near future as the Yankees just lost 10 arms – 3 for Verdugo, 3 to Rule 5 and 4 for Soto.
This ^ also they usually stockpile these types of minors deals for spring training. There’s going to be a TON lol.
Myname-when you put it that way, it sounds SO bad. That’s a lot of pitching to lose, regardless of how well regarded the farm system is. Ouch.
I will never understand why Dennis Santana elected free agency last season rather than accept an outright assignment with the Mets which resulted in him forfeiting over 200k just to not even sign with anyone. I hope he is doing alright.
He likes NY only
Dodgers sloppy seconds
Lmao Yankees signing Mets trash lamo!
Am I doing it right?
B- for misspelling.
Ground meat
Keep signing more minor league pitchers. Gonna need them after trading all of the ones you have for Soto.
They’ve actually been successful with some of these types of moves the last 2-3 years.
Jimmy Cordero, Ryan Weber, Lucas Luetge, Johnny Loaisiga, Ian Hamilton, Nick Ramirez…have all contributed at varying levels to the bullpen.
They haven’t been as lucky or successful on the hitting end. But still Matt Carpenter, Urshela, Bauers (got two prospects for him)…though only Bauers was a recent add.