Yankees Claim Young Right-Hander off Waivers From Rangers in Latest Move

The New York Yankees picked up a Texas Rangers pitcher.

Texas Rangers cap | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

As the Texas Rangers continue to navigate the hectic nature of the Major League Baseball offseason, roster moves are being made across the board within nearly every franchise.

Just in the past week, the Rangers have made numerous transactions, including the signing of free agent right-handers Jakob Junis and Josh Sborz and acquiring ace MacKenzie Gore in exchange for a five-prospect haul.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

But the flurry of moves hasn't concluded yet. Sources state that earlier today, another transaction involving Texas took place, this time including the New York Yankees. While it wasn't a groundbreaking move, it was enough to shake things up just a bit for both teams.

Yankees Claim RHP From Rangers

Texas Rangers cap | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

According to the Yankees PR Department, New York claimed right-handed pitcher Don Hamel off waivers from Texas. While doing so, they designated southpaw Jayvien Sandridge and versatile 24-year-old Marco Luciano for assignment.

Hamel was the 81st pick in the third round of the 2021 MLB draft, picked by the New York Mets. His professional baseball debut with the Mets came on Sept. 17, 2025, but shortly after, he was selected off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles, followed by the Rangers on Sept. 27, 2025. On Jan. 20, however, Texas designated him for assignment.

Earlier today, the Yankees made the following roster moves:

•Claimed RHP Dom Hamel off waivers from the Texas Rangers.
•Designated LHP Jayvien Sandridge and INF/OF Marco Luciano for assignment.

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) January 27, 2026

During his 2025 campaign in the minor leagues, he recorded a 5.32 ERA and 75 strikeouts across 67.2 innings pitched through 31 games, 11 of which he started. This was his second consecutive year playing with the Syracuse Mets in Triple-A.

In 2024, he registered a 6.79 ERA and 124 strikeouts across 124.2 innings pitched through 27 starts. His most productive seasons were back in 2022 and 2023, where he posted a 3.25 ERA and a 3.85 ERA, respectively.

As he continues to build more experience on the mound, he will likely gain more opportunities in the Major Leagues. There's still a substantial amount of developing that he needs to undergo, but there is potential for him to find his footing with the Yankees.

Offseason roster moves are still in full swing for ballclubs across the nation, and like the Rangers, each one is hoping to reach playoff contention during their upcoming campaign. In order to do so, they're making moves left and right.

Hamel was the most recent move to involve Texas, but he certainly won't be the last. Spring training is coming up, which means there's little time to get rosters squared away.

---