Yankees 'unexpectedly' release minor leaguer with impressive strikeout numbers

The New York Yankees' minor league pitching depth got a bit thinner this week, but we're sure they have a plan, since the one thing we can account for every year is arms in droves, especially those jumping between Triple-A and the big leagues.

According to Francys Romero, the Yankees "unexpectedly" released Cuban right-hander Osiel Rodriguez. The 23-year-old never made it past Single-A Tampa, but he had impressive strikeout numbers nonetheless, fanning 183 batters in 147 career minor league innings.

Rodriguez was signed during the international free agency period back in 2018 as the No. 9-rated prospect in his class. The Yankees landed him for $600K and were excited about his heater, which hit 97 MPH on the gun back then. This came immediately after the famous Luke Voit trade, which saw pitchers Chasen Shreve and Giovanny Gallegos head to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The timing here is bizarre, however, because Rodriguez finally put together a full, impressive campaign, logging a 2.72 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 68 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings (all at Tampa). But before that, it appears as if complications from a 2019 shoulder injury (coupled with the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season) held him back.

He logged just 35 innings in 2022 and 37 1/3 innings in 2023 to follow up his grand total of 18 1/3 from 2019-2021.

Yankees release Cuban pitcher Osiel Rodriguez in minor league shuffle

The reality is that the Yankees have a crowded pitching situation in their minor leagues. The last few years, High-A Hudson Valley has been an absolute factory for arms, providing Double-A and Triple-A with a suitable pipeline, so it's quite possible Rodriguez just didn't make the cut given what New York already had.

Rodriguez was Rule 5 eligible in 2024 but wasn't selected in the draft. He's been outside of the Yankees' Top 30 prospects since 2021, so we can't say this is much of a loss. We can chalk this up to the Yankees getting burned by yet another injury, as it's clear Rodriguez's workload was significantly affected after his 2019 situation.

Perhaps this release will pave the way for the next fast-rising pitcher in the Bombers' system. Could use one of those by the end of this year, especially after Chase Hampton's latest injury.