The teams had until 8 PM today to decide whether to tender the contracts of players who qualified for arbitration or let them go unrestricted.
The Yankees were able to free up a spot on the roster and acquire two prospects in exchange for Jake Bauers, but their roster turnover didn’t end there. Three different relievers on the Yankees’ roster—who have an abundance of relievers—were not tendered.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees non-tendered Albert Abreu, Anthony Misiewicz, and Lou Trivino. This allowed the Yankees to clear three more spots on their 40-Man roster and save money on arbitration as they prepare for a busy offseason.
Yankees Free Up Bullpen Spots, Open Up 4 Total Roster Spots
Since these three relievers would have prevented certain moves, the Yankees’ abundance of relievers made this an easy decision for the team. First up is Lou Trivino, who probably would have stayed with the team if he hadn’t sustained an elbow injury during spring training that required Tommy John surgery to end his season. As part of the 2022 trade deal that sent Frankie Montas to the Bronx at the trade deadline, the 32-year-old right-hander was a terrific addition to the Yankee bullpen, pitching 21.2 innings with a 1.66 ERA.
The Yankees probably thought that was too much for an arm that won’t be able to return until the middle of the season, as he was expected to make about $4 million in arbitration. The team knows it can save money in their bullpen because of their history of producing quality relievers and the rise of both Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito. This is especially true given the abundance of right-handed options they currently have to bolster their bullpen.
Prior to the 2017 campaign, Albert Abreu—who was traded for Brian McCann—had never established himself in the Yankee bullpen. He had significantly declined last season despite recording a 3.26 ERA in 38.2 innings pitched. Abreu walked 13.1% of batters he faced last season while pitching for the Yankees, recording a 4.73 ERA over 59 innings pitched at a 1.37 HR/9 rate. He will also become a free agent because the Yankees, who have other, more productive options, were not going to keep him on their Major League roster in the absence of Minor League options.
Regarding Anthony Misiewicz, the left-hander was limited to just three Yankees games during which he gave up just one run before an untimely injury occurred during a comebacker in Pittsburgh. The Yankees do not have a lot of left-handed relievers, but Misiewicz hadn’t proven himself in the Major Leagues, and they were looking to trade for Wandy Peralta anyway, so they didn’t think it was worth keeping him. Like with Abreu, Clayton Beeter and Yoendrys Gomez weren’t given enough reps, but they are both on the 40-Man Roster and could have an impact on their bullpen’s back end.
The Yankees added four more roster spots with the Jake Bauers trade, and even with their projected salaries, they will avoid paying about $7 million in arbitration. It may not seem like much, but every dollar matters, especially if Hal Steinbrenner wants to avoid paying the Steve Cohen tax once more. Cost-cutting measures like this one also help if they hope to make significant moves this winter and maintain flexibility to make changes at the last minute.
In addition, the Yankees now have so much depth in their MiLB pitching rotation that they can use them in place of other pitchers, developing their young players even more as they try to trade some of their pitchers. Given the number of players who qualified for arbitration but were either injured or ineffective last season, some roster shuffles were anticipated today, but the catching glutton is still there.
Teams may contact the Yankees’ catchers, so it will be interesting to watch. Veteran Kyle Higashioka is still anticipated to sign with a new team soon.
