The Yankees announced that they have selected left-hander Tyler Matzek to their roster. Right-hander Yoendrys Gómez has been designated for assignment to open space on the active and 40-man rosters.
Gómez, 25, was once a notable prospect for the Yankees. However, he came into 2025 out of options and with limited experience. Even though the Yankee rotation has lost Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Marcus Stroman and JT Brubaker to the injured list, Gómez never seemed to get much consideration for a rotation spot.
Instead, he’s been kept in a long relief role, having tossed ten innings across six appearances this year. That includes three innings last night after Clarke Schmidt only lasted four frames against the Guardians. Gómez was likely going to be unavailable for a few days after that and the Yanks have another long relief option on hand in Ryan Yarbrough, so Gómez has been bumped off the roster and into DFA limbo.
The righty now has a 3.09 earned run average in a small sample of 23 1/3 major league innings in his career. He could perhaps garner interest from other clubs based on his past prospect pedigree and work in the minors. Years ago, he put up some good numbers in rookie ball and A-ball, leading Baseball America to have him as the club’s #12 prospect in 2020 and #8 in 2021. Tommy John surgery in 2021 reduced his workload for a while. In 2023 and 2024, around occasional major league call-ups, he tossed 148 2/3 innings on the farm with a 3.63 earned run average. His 12.3% walk rate in that time was high but he also struck out 27.7% of batters faced.
Since Gómez is out of options, any acquiring club would have to keep him on the active roster. If he does find a landing spot and succeeds, there would be long-term benefits for that team. Gómez has just a handful of service days, meaning he can be cheaply retained for years to come. DFA limbo can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Yanks will have as much as five days to explore trade interest.
His departure makes room for the veteran Matzek. Now 34 years old, he has a strong track record but is a few years removed from his best work. He underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2022 while with Atlanta and then missed the entire 2023 season. He returned to the mound last year but posted a 9.90 ERA in ten outings before landing on the IL in early May due to elbow inflammation. He was traded to the Giants as part of the Jorge Soler deal but was released and ended up back with Atlanta on a minor league pact to finish out the year.
He had a strong run prior to that. From 2020 to 2022, he posted a 2.92 ERA in 135 2/3 innings. His 13.4% walk rate in that time was certainly on the high side but he punched out 27.4% of batters faced. The Yanks gave him a shot to bounceback by signing him to a minor league deal this winter. He suffered an oblique strain during spring and therefore didn’t have a chance to crack the Opening Day roster. He recently returned to the mound and has thrown 5 2/3 minor league innings with two earned runs allowed, issuing two walks and punching out seven opponents.
The Yanks have Yarbrough and Tim Hill as lefties in their bullpen but Yarbrough is a long man while Hill is a soft tossing ground ball guy. Matzek will give manager Aaron Boone more of a swing-and-miss option from the left side.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images
Right now I’d be more inclined to DFA Williams. I haven’t seen much air bending going on. This has Sonny Gray vibes.
Hah! I don’t think Blake nor Harkey are trying to change him. He’s too good to be this bad and will hopefully soon find his airbending groove.
I hope so YBC. And while I’m just venting my frustration right now, it is concerning.
Mo used to grow through a stretch of 7-10 days where he was terrible every season.
NYY can’t beat good teams. The end in nigh.
I agree with Joe, Williams gives off the “I can’t stand being in New York” vibe. That awkwardness, that discomfort, that inability to succeed in the big pressure city.
Now watch,Caleb Durbin go out an win NL Rookie of the Year honors.
Man, that’s an over-reaction. And the better comparison would be to Ed Whitson.
He was dink and dunked to death in the TB blown save. EV in the 60’s and 70’s sandwiched around an error.
No way his BABIP against stays over .500. If you want to gripe, maybe the low K/9 has been weird, but it’s not like he’s being shelled or deserving DFA status.
True. There wasn’t one hard-hit ball in that inning.
“Devin is ready to turn the corner.” Aaron Boone, probably lol
“It’s right there in front of him.” -Aaron Boone, most definitely.
Sounds perfectly reasonable to DFA one of the most statistically elite closers in the game after 8 innings.
Joe, but I thought the media claim was that the beard rule change was suppose to put all these guys into their comfort zones!!!!
Make him shave until he does better…..lol.
Hey pal. I’m pretty sure you like to taste grandmas sauce well before it’s done and she thwaps you with that wooden spoon. Is it true some people can’t handle New York, sure, that’s a thing. But you’re basically the dumb dumb little grandkid in grandmas kitchen not waiting for the sauce to be done. In three years when Devin is a top 10 Yankees relief pitcher of all-time, I’m sure you’ll lie about how you knew it was just him getting acquainted, or how you always knew. Results Bud. The next 3 years of Devin will blow your mind.
You and Nicky Turturo need to quit crying about 100 win teams and realize games are gonna get blown here and there just like every Yankees second baseman of all-time when he gets home his wife is there to comfort his throwing errors with her beautiful mouth.
Baseball is really fricking hard. Devin Williams is really frivking good. Posting and yelling is really fricking easy.
Three years? Williams is a free agent after this season. He’ll be elsewhere next year.
You’ll regret those words if you thought they were in any way intelligent. But I’ll give you three years.
Gomez is a righty
Yep
Does Gomez have options left? Or gone for good?
Out of options
Yoendrys is a good pitcher and he should come to the cards. Congrats to matzek though
I’d have DFAd Yarbrough instead of Gomez but he’s lefty so he stays. No way Gomez doesn’t get claimed or traded. Might even get a chance to be a starter elsewhere.
I don’t understand not maximizing the value for these guys. Gomez has some trade value, but the team keeps adding more & more out of option veteran relievers.
Yes, they have much success with these reclamation projects…but can’t they give some of these minor league arms a chance so that they have guys that can be optioned without losing them?
They have Beeter, Headrick, Yerry De Los Santos all doing well and they have options left. No need to keep adding guys with no options to the major league roster.
Gomez has 9 BB in 10 innings. How much trade value is that? He needs AAA innings and that was not going to happen without a DFA at some point whether with NY or someone else.
@Stud – It is a small sample size. He’s been effective despite not getting consistent work, plus he’s been successful in AAA. There are teams that can give him some run to see if he can do better with more consistent work.
He should net some low level or non-prospect or even some cash. It isn’t going to be a top 30 guy but I would expect they get something in return (given his low salary & years of control remaining)
When your FIP is more than 2x your era that’s luck not effectiveness. Someone might take a flyer on him if they that big a hole in their bullpen but I would bet that he passes waivers and winds up back at SWB.
Crazy that Tim Hill has an 89% GB rate. His SIERA is at 0.56.
I don’t see why the Orioles don’t go and grab Gomez for a few trips through the rotation in lieu of Morton (since he is 14.75 million per year cheaper) and not having any healthy reinforcements available for a few months. Why not put him out there for three or four innings, start stretching him out. They have nothing to lose.
Gómez, 25, was once a notable prospect for the Yankees.
Huh.
Sounds familiar.
Gomez would be a nice pickup for the bravos
Rockies have 1st dibs on Gomez. Will they pull the trigger?
Angels, please claim Gomez and DFA Ian Anderson. Thank you.
Does Mark Leiter have pictures of somebody? There’s no reason to keep him and let Gomez go.
The team also needs to stop looking at strike three like it’s a pretty girl and stop swinging at garbage.
Leiter Jr. has one of the best reliever splitters and strikes out hitters. Gomez has zero command and walks a batter an inning.