Yankees, Mark Leiter Jr. can’t reach deal with arbitration looming

The Yankees went 4-for-5 in striking deals with arbitration-eligible players before Thursday’s deadline.

Devin Williams, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Clarke Schmidt and Scott Effross settled with the Yankees, the team announced, while Mark Leiter Jr. represented the one whiff.

The righty reliever and the club were unable to come to terms on a pact, the two now facing a potential arbitration hearing that players and teams do not enjoy.

Mark Leiter Jr. and the Yankees will be headed to arbitration. Jason Szenes for New York Post

Leiter and the Yankees still can negotiate for a few weeks before a hearing.

If still unable to agree on a contract, the case would be heard by a panel that would choose either the player’s proposed salary figure or the team’s.

Leiter has filed at $2.5 million and the Yankees at $2.05 million, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.

The Yankees have not participated in an arbitration hearing since 2017, when they beat Dellin Betances before team president Randy Levine publicly ripped Betances’ representatives.

They have come close to other hearings recently, including settling with Aaron Judge hours before arbitrators were set to hear his case in 2022.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. reacts after ending the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2024 World Series. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Leiter struggled after joining the Yankees in a midseason trade with the Cubs.

The righty finished with a combined 4.50 ERA in 58 innings, hurt by home runs but displaying quality stuff that consistently missed bats, before stepping up in the postseason (one run in 5 ¹/₃ innings).

The 33-year-old is in his second year of arbitration, having settled with Chicago at $1.5 million a year ago. He is under team control through the 2026 season.

The Yankees settled with Williams ($8.6 million), Chisholm (reported $5.85 million), Schmidt (reported $3.6 million) and Effross (reported $800,000).

Williams, who was imported from the Brewers last month, had a belated start to his 2024 season because of stress fractures in his back, but he was his usual dominant self in returning and allowing three earned runs in 21 ²/₃ innings.

The 30-year-old will be a free agent after the upcoming season.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the Yankees reached a deal before arbitration. Jason Szenes for New York Post

Chisholm, in his second season of arbitration, earned a raise after a strong start to his Yankees tenure, putting together a nice couple of months following the trade from the Marlins and finishing with a .760 OPS, 24 home runs and 40 steals for the 2024 season.

Effross, 31, pitched in three major league games in another frustrating, injury-plagued season.

The 2022 trade-deadline pickup required Tommy John surgery that season, then back surgery in December 2023 before several hiccups pushed his return to September.

Schmidt, 28, is coming off his best season (2.85 ERA in 16 starts) and cannot become a free agent until after the 2027 season.

Source link

Leave a Comment