Yankees Reportedly Interested in Signing Veteran Pitcher

The New York Yankees have checked in on veteran right-hander Zack Littell after the Arizona Diamondbacks released him this week, a person familiar with the talks said Thursday.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the interest.

“Source: The Yankees are among teams that have at least checked in on Zack Littell, who cleared waivers today after being released earlier this week by the Diamondbacks.”

Littell, 30, is a nine-year major leaguer who has bounced from rotation work to long relief. New York is one of several clubs that at least made a call after he went unclaimed.

The Yankees are hunting innings with September approaching and their bullpen thinned by injuries. Setup man Fernando Cruz went on the injured list this week with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Manager Aaron Boone said Tommy John surgery is on the table.

Cruz had a 3.13 ERA in 61 appearances before the injury. He left Tuesday’s game against the Houston Astros after allowing a two-run homer, and the bullpen as a whole gave up six earned runs in that loss.

New York bounced back Wednesday with a 9-3 win. Relievers combined for three scoreless innings. The club also added veteran right-handers Michael Fulmer and Justin Topa in recent days to help cover the gaps.

The Yankees sit first in the American League wild-card race with an eight-game cushion. They remain 3 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. A deep October run is still the goal, and the front office did not add a reliever at the trade deadline.

Littell began 2026 with the Washington Nationals on a one-year deal. He made 23 appearances, including 14 starts, and posted a 4.97 ERA over 112 1/3 innings. Washington released him in early August.

Arizona signed him days later to a major league contract and used him in long relief. He threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his debut to finish a shutout of the Colorado Rockies. The next two outings went poorly. He allowed 10 earned runs and five home runs over 12 innings with the Diamondbacks and finished that brief stint with a 7.50 ERA.

Overall this season he is 8-8 with a 5.21 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 73 strikeouts in 124 1/3 innings. Home runs have been a problem. He has allowed 30 this year after surrendering 36 last season.

The 2025 campaign looked better. Littell went 8-8 with a 3.58 ERA in 22 starts for Tampa Bay, then 2-0 with a 4.39 ERA in 10 starts after a midseason move to Cincinnati. Combined he made 32 appearances and kept his ERA near 3.81.

He has also pitched for the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox. The Yankees once owned his rights in the minors after a 2016 trade.

Any team that signs him now would owe only the prorated major league minimum. Washington remains responsible for most of his 2026 salary and a $4 million option buyout.

That low cost is part of the appeal. Littell can work multiple innings and has starting experience if New York needs a bulk arm behind an opener or a long man when the rotation is short. Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers are among the pitchers the Yankees hope to get back later in the stretch.

There is no guarantee he lands in the Bronx. Several clubs have inquired, and some evaluators see him as a minor league depth piece rather than an immediate big league addition.

Boone has already leaned on journeymen in leverage spots this week. A veteran who can eat innings without a large financial commitment would fit the moment, even if this season has been uneven.

Whether that veteran is Littell remains an open question. The Yankees have time to decide before rosters expand and the final month begins in earnest.