New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (56) pitches the ball in a game against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium, Aug 13, 2025, Bronx, New York, USA. Yannick Peterhans/NorthJersey.com Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yankees Non-Tender Five Relievers

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 7:00 PM ET

On the day of the non-tender deadline, the New York Yankees cut bait with five right-handed relief pitchers.

The club announced on X that it non-tendered Mark Leiter Jr., Jake Cousins, Scott Effross, Ian Hamilton and Michael Arias. All five players are now set to become free agents and thus are eligible to sign with any team.

New York avoided arbitration with Oswaldo Cabrera and Clarke Schmidt earlier in the day by coming to terms with them on one-year deals worth $1.2 million and $4.5 million, respectively.

Today, the Yankees non-tendered RHP Michael Arias, RHP Jake Cousins, RHP Scott Effross, RHP Ian Hamilton and RHP Mark Leiter Jr.

Additionally, the Yankees have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera and RHP Clarke Schmidt, thus avoiding arbitration.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) November 21, 2025

Yankees Lose Bullpen Depth

None of the five pitchers that New York is parting ways with were in line for sizable roles during the 2026 campaign. Furthermore, each member of that group besides Arias was out of minor league options, meaning the Yankees decided to save some money by not tendering them contracts while also opening up a slew of 40-man roster spots.

Leiter Jr. is perhaps the most high-profile of the five Yankees that were non-tendered. The club acquired him at the 2024 trade deadline from the Chicago Cubs, but he pitched to a 4.89 ERA over 70 innings in The Bronx and never quite lived up to expectations.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Hamilton, who had been a member of the organization since the 2023 season, logged a 4.28 ERA in 40 frames at the big-league level in 2025 and spent the final two months of the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Cousins was effective for the Yankees when healthy in 2024 after they acquired him via trade from the Chicago White Sox, posting a 2.70 ERA in 30 innings, but he underwent Tommy John surgery back in June and thus will miss most, if not all of the 2026 campaign.

Effross was a rather big addition for New York at the 2022 deadline after he came over from the Cubs, but he appeared in just 13 contests for the team that year before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He recorded a 7.71 ERA across 14 innings for the Yankees between the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

New York acquired Arias from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations in January. The 24-year-old put up a 2.73 ERA in 29 2/3 minor league innings this past season.

What's Next for Yankees

With the likes of Devin Williams, Luke Weaver and Jonathan Loáisiga reaching free agency alongside the players New York non-tendered, there's quite a bit of work to do as the club looks to restructure its bullpen.

It's certainly possible that Williams and/or Weaver will return, but the Yankees would likely still look to fill several more spots either via trade or the open market.

David Bednar is currently slated to serve as the team's closer after coming over in a deadline deal from the Pittsburgh Pirates in July. Camilo Doval and Tim Hill should also receive some late-inning work for the Yankees alongside Fernando Cruz.

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