While the New York Yankees are eyeing a potential reunion with former Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger and could have interest in another, Kyle Tucker, they gutted their 40-man roster of former Cubs pitchers ahead of the non-tender deadline on Friday night. Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross, and Michael Arias have all suddenly become available on the free-agent market.
Leiter emerged as a high-leverage option out of the Cubs' bullpen during the 2023 season, posting a 3.50 ERA while striking out over 28% of the hitters he faced. The Cubs reworked Leiter's grip with his split-finger fastball, leading to him having excellent reverse splits.