The Yankees are adding veteran reliever Rafael Montero on a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, as first reported by Héctor Gómez. The deal comes with a $1.8MM base salary and $500K roster bonus if the ISE Baseball client makes the MLB club.
Montero divided the 2025 season between a trio of clubs. He began the year on the Astros, playing out the final season of a three-year contract that Houston had quickly come to regret. They managed to offload a portion of his salary in an April trade with the Braves, who would flip him to the Tigers at the deadline. Montero managed a decent ERA in Detroit but had concerning underlying marks throughout the season.
The 35-year-old righty combined for a 4.48 earned run average through 60 1/3 innings. He got a lot of swinging strikes and managed a slightly above-average 23% strikeout rate. That came with a lot of free passes, as he walked almost 15% of opponents. Montero has never had pristine command but had gotten the walks enough in check to be a key setup arm for the Astros in 2022. He carries a 4.77 ERA over 166 innings over the past three seasons.
Montero sits around 95 mph with his fastball and picked up a splitter last year that became his primary pitch, especially against left-handed batters. The latter offering is a big reason the Braves and Tigers took a flier. Detroit carried Montero on their playoff rosters. His only appearance came early in a bullpen game in which he failed to retire any of the three batters he faced.
The Yankees could have a couple bullpen spots available depending on whether they carry Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest into the season. David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn should have spots secure. They can’t option Winquest or recent waiver pickup Osvaldo Bido, though the latter has kicked around the waiver wire all winter and certainly isn’t a lock to stick. Jake Bird, Yerry De Los Santos, Kervin Castro, Angel Chivilli and Brent Headrick all have a minor league option remaining.
As a player with six years of service time who finished last season on Detroit’s major league roster, Montero hit the market as an Article XX(b) free agent. That means this deal comes with a trio of automatic opt-out dates under the collective bargaining agreement. He can trigger an out clause five days before Opening Day, on May 1, or on June 1. If he does, the Yankees would have two days to either promote him or grant him his release.
Yankees grabbing every old Met they can.
He spent barely a few months there lol
If by “a few months” you meant four years, then sure…
well, in those first 3 seasons he pitched in a total of 24 games, so technically you are both right.
A you mean 10 years ago… lol
I remember when he was first called up and was supposed to be better than deGrom, who arrived at the same time.
Fernando Cruz insursnce.
Wow. Yanks are desperate. I’m thankful the Tigers didn’t invite him back.
the need to stash guys for AAA depth can make teams desperate
There’s no such thing as a desperate minor league contract. It’s just adding a guy who has been a useful reliever to the organization without even committing a 40-man spot.
@84
crazy you would say that about a AAA “break class in case of emergency” signing. you’re lame.
If Jake fails to impress in Spring Training,
The Yankees can always “Flip the Bird” to another organization.
Bullpen depth. Plenty of experience, it’s an ok add.
I didn’t think he was “that bad” with the Tigers. Definitely not the worst reliever they had on the team last year. Still, I imagine he’ll be in AAA to start the year, barring injuries.
Camp body + insurance piece. I’m with it.
It’s fine. It’s the kind of low risk move that could pay big dividends after Matt Blake and his devil magic gets used on him.
This guy is washed.
Quite possibly. Kick the tires anyway. Worse comes to worst, he throws some AAA innings for a a couple months that need to be thrown by somebody or other.
Can Cashman please stop shopping off the clearance rack. Stop dumpster diving Please. The guy is 35 if you continue to dumpster dive get someone with some youth and years of options.
Guys with options usually aren’t available because their teams … option them to the minors. This is the kind of player who teams sign at this time of year, whether to compete for a back end bullpen slot or to pick up some innings in the minors. Every team does this. Like, Montero isn’t even taking up a 40-man spot. It is impossible to make a bad minor league signing.
DAMN, who will the Astros pitch in the 7th inning against the Mariners ans proceed to give up the lead now?
I was in Savannah in 2010. Rafael Montero was supposed to be a stud, potential #2 starter. He’s had a pretty solid career all things considered. He’s a good guy. Good pickup for the Yankees if they can get him back to form. Never going to complain about a dart throw reliever.
Probably Just trying to accumulate some trade chips, since they still need a SP for 1/2 season a 3b a SS and a few relievers a set up man & a closer. Oh wait they have all those players they just STINK