While the Yankees bolstered their bullpen by acquiring star closer Devin Williams in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, he wasn’t the only reliever recently added to the roster.
According to multiple reports, the Yankees signed veteran right-hander Wilking Rodgriguez to a minor-league contract, which includes an invite to spring training. It’s merely a depth piece for the team, as Rodriguez turns 35 in March and barely has any big league experience. He was signed to a minor-league deal with the Yankees back in 2022, but was later taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Rule 5 draft.
Rodriguez’s career has been unusual, to say the least. He’s spent nearly a dozen seasons at various minor league levels, and eight seasons in foreign leagues. He most recently pitched in the Venezuelan Winter League and Mexican League, and between two teams in 2022, he owned a 1.78 ERA with a 13.5 K/9 rate across 50.2 innings.
His lone stint in the majors occurred way back in 2014, however — he appeared in two games and logged a pair of innings for the Kansas City Royals.
The Yankees are taking a flier on the hard-throwing Rodriguez, who’s been limited to 20 appearances since his strong 2022 campaign due to shoulder issues.
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