The Yankees and right-hander Wilking Rodríguez have agreed to a minor league deal, stories Aram Leighton of Simply Baseball. The righty will presumably obtain an invitation to huge league spring coaching as effectively.
The Yanks beforehand signed Rodríguez to a minor league deal in August of 2022. He had been pitching for Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos within the Mexican League that yr, posting a 2.01 earned run common over 44 2/3 innings. He struck out 43.2% of batters confronted for that membership, limiting walks to a 7.7% clip.
That intrigued the Yankees however evidently additionally the Cardinals. The Playing cards took Rodríguez within the 2022 Rule 5 draft, a shocking choose because the righty was going into his age-33 season and most Rule 5 picks are guys of their 20s nonetheless trying to make their main league debuts. Rodríguez had been within the majors lengthy earlier than, throwing two innings for the Royals in 2014 earlier than spending years away from affiliated ball.
The unorthodox choose didn’t work for the Playing cards, as Rodríguez required shoulder surgical procedure and spent all the 2023 season on the injured record. He was outrighted off the roster after that marketing campaign after which re-signed with the Playing cards on a minor league deal. He spent most of 2024 on the minor league IL and solely made 13 appearances.
Although it’s been a tough couple of years, Leighton relays that Rodríguez has been pitching in winter ball of late and hitting 97 miles per hour on his fastball. The Yankees had been clearly considering him a few years in the past and have circled again to him now that he has maybe gotten over his harm woes.
The Yankees made an enormous bullpen addition as we speak by buying Devin Williams from the Brewers however all golf equipment want to achieve into their non-roster pitching depth all through a protracted season as accidents are inevitable.
