This week, the New York Yankees added pitchers Cade Winquest in the Rule 5 Draft and Bradley Hanner on a minor league deal, looking to improve organizational pitching depth. On Friday, they also gave a minor league pact to Drake Fellows. They lost a reliever, Mark Leiter Jr., who signed to play for the Athletics, and should consider bringing back an inconsistent member of the 2025 squad.
Yankees sign pitcher Drake Fellows to Minor League free agent contract
The Yankees have added right-hander Drake Fellows on a minor-league deal, continuing their strategy of targeting tall, projectable pitchers who could unlock more velocity in relief. Fellows split his Triple-A season between starting and relieving, but his swing-and-miss profile clearly played better in the bullpen, where his strikeout rate jumped and his velocity ticked up.
His best weapon is a heavy-dropping, bullet-spin slider that generated strong whiffs and little horizontal movement. Originally drafted out of Vanderbilt and once part of the Joe Musgrove trade, Fellows has yet to debut in the majors, but the Yankees see potential similar to other size-based projects they’ve taken on.
If they can coax more velocity out of him and keep him in a relief role, he could contend for an MLB spot as early as spring training.
Why the Yankees should be open to reunion with this bullpen arm
Despite a rough return from injury and an ugly postseason, Luke Weaver remains one of the more analytically appealing relievers on the market — and someone the Yankees should seriously consider. His ERA was mediocre, but the underlying indicators tell a different story: excellent whiff and chase rates, a strong K-BB%, and batted-ball data that suggests his spike in home runs was more misfortune than decline.
With the Yankees bypassing the top-tier closer market and losing Devin Williams, Weaver offers mid-tier value that doesn’t break the budget while still elevating the bullpen’s strikeout floor. His issues largely stemmed from an increase in flyballs and a shift in pitch usage, problems that a well-run pitching department can address. On a projected two-year, $14 million deal, Weaver profiles as a stabilizing 7th-inning option who fits the team’s desire to buy low on high-upside arms without blocking future roster moves.
Yankees lose another reliever to the Athletics on $3 million deal
The Yankees are shedding volatility in their bullpen, and the departure of Mark Leiter Jr. to Oakland is part of that trend. Leiter flashed strikeout ability with his splitter but struggled mightily with traffic, jams, and run prevention, posting ERAs near 5.00 in back-to-back seasons with New York.
His exit mirrors the team’s broader desire to clean out inconsistent arms after also losing Devin Williams — a loss they reportedly don’t regret given the size and complications of his contract. The Yankees appear to be shifting focus toward stability and lower-drama innings, preferring cheaper minor-league signings or undervalued relievers who can simply get outs without unraveling under pressure. Leiter’s departure only helps if the Yankees replace his innings with reliable production, but it signals a bullpen philosophy moving away from “stuff” and toward trustworthiness.
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