3 recently non-tendered players Yankees should jump on before MLB wakes up

On Friday night, the New York Yankees went above and beyond to clear out potentially problematic members of their bullpen, opening up five additional 40-man roster spots by dropping a fleet of relievers into free agency. Mark Leiter Jr. and his $3 million salary hitting the open market was predictable; Scott Effross, with an option remaining and just about ~$1 million to his name next season, wasn't quite as easy to forecast.

The Yankees are going to use that flexibility on any number of potential additions, from big-ticket items to bounce back hurlers. When the free agent market expanded significantly late Friday, it also added a few tempting options at the margins for New York to explore (including a familiar name whose career in pinstripes ended earlier than it should've). These three could fit the infrastructure-building mold while the Yankees stay focused on wooing Cody Bellinger and Tatsuya Imai.

3 recently non-tendered players who'd be perfect fits for the New York Yankees

Mike Tauchman, OF

You know him, you love him, and you need a valuable fourth outfielder during these trying times. Is Bellinger coming home? What, exactly, is Jasson Domínguez? Double that for Spencer Jones.

Tauchman, cut loose by the White Sox last week, was once one of the Yankees' most fun and effective Next Men Up in 2019, when he reset expectations with a 128 OPS+ and substantial 3.9 bWAR. Unfortunately, he pulled up lame in the outfield at Fenway Park in September and was unable to return for the postseason (where he could've really saved the day when Giancarlo Stanton went down during the ALCS).

The lefty-swinging outfielder hasn't had a below-average offensive season since he left for a one-year stint in Korea at the end of 2021, posting OPS+ marks of 105, 106 and 112 in Chicago the past three years (two with the Cubs, one with the White Sox).

He's a Midwesterner and the embodiment of stability. After being cut loose by the Sox, he'd probably be empowered by some friendly faces in the Bronx now that his time in his hometown might finally be over. This is a call the Yankees need to make.

Ramon Urías, INF

2025 marked the first season of ex-Gold Glove third baseman Ramon Urías' career where he was well-below-average offensively. The majority of the detrimental work he did came after his destabilizing midseason trade to the Astros. In the comfort of Baltimore, he carried a 93 OPS+; after switching sides, he put up a 76 mark, finishing the season at 88 overall.

Still just 31 (turning 32 in June), Urías is a solid 2.0-WAR player who can cover second, third, short, and occasionally first base. The Yankees need to seek out versatile options to slot alongside Oswaldo Cabrera and a backup catcher on the bench, and while Amed Rosario is probably the early favorite for the role, Urías is an AL East-tested alternative who'll likely come a few million dollars cheaper (as well as a platoon partner for Ryan McMahon).

Now, about that backup catcher ...

Andrew Knizner, C

(And, most importantly, a right-handed catcher)

The fact of the matter is it makes precious little sense to have a lefty starter in Austin Wells, a lefty backup in JC Escarra, and a lefty emergency catcher in Ben Rice. Nobody else does this. It was fairly baffling that the Yankees backed themselves into such a roster corner last season, but here we are.

Knizner, a former top prospect who most recently toiled for the Giants, makes the most sense of all the recent additions to the market, hitting .221 with a .299 OBP in limited duty last year. His strongest season to date? A .712 OPS in 241 plate appearances with the 2023 Cardinals, the organization he was originally drafted by back in 2016.

Escarra is more than likely on the verge of being dealt, and Knizner could absorb his role at a discount.