New York Yankees Could Use Veteran Relief Pitcher As Trade Chip

Will the New York Yankees look to move a veteran relief pitcher?

Oct 29, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (38) throws during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. | John Jones-Imagn Images

With Spring Training close to getting underway around the league, the New York Yankees will have high expectations heading into the season.

It has been a busy winter for the Yankees, and they are certainly ready to get back on the field and get the bad taste out of their mouths after losing in the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Coming into 2025, New York looks to be an improved team.

The Yankees pivoted nicely from their original plans in free agency and have added a lot of talent at multiple levels.

One area that looks strong is the bullpen. New York pulled off a significant trade with the Milwaukee Brewers to acquire closer Devin Williams.

While the addition of a shutdown closer was important for the Yankees, they also have a lot of talented options that will hopefully be getting him the ball with the lead a lot next year.

Brendan Kuty of The Athletic recently spoke about what the 2025 campaign might look like for Mark Leiter Jr. of the Yankees.

“The 33-year-old righty struggled after the Yankees acquired him from the Cubs at the deadline, but then came up big in a few spots in the playoffs. Is he a candidate for the late innings? Or is he trade bait?”

After coming over from the Chicago Cubs during the season, Leiter wasn’t great for New York. The 33-year-old totaled a 4.98 ERA in 21.2 innings and had a negative WAR. He was certainly a bit better with the Cubs before the trade, but 2024 was a bit of a down season compared to the year prior.

However, what was somewhat shocking considering his struggles during the campaign was his performance in the postseason.

The Yankees used Leiter quite a bit during the playoff run and he rose to the occasion with a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 innings pitched.

Leiter showed the ability to strikeout batters at a high rate with 13.7 K's per nine innings, something that's always good for a relief pitcher, especially if he is coming on with runners on base.

With a lot of depth in the bullpen, it will be interesting to see where Leiter falls in the hierarchy.

Currently, he could pitch in some high-leverage spots until Jonathan Loaisiga comes back and knocks the rust off after missing nearly the entire 2024 campaign.

If the bullpen remains healthy and performs up to their capabilities, Leiter could also be used as trade chip depending on his performance. The Yankees will certainly take a long hard look at him this spring and at the start of the season to evaluate which version of him to expect in 2025.