NEW YORK, N.Y.— Just one week after watching closer Devin Williams depart the Bronx for the crosstown rival Mets, the Yankees are parting with yet another bullpen arm from their 2025 roster, as reliever Mark Leiter Jr. has signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Athletics, according to multiple reports.
Leiter Jr., whose father and uncle, Al, both enjoyed successful MLB pitching careers, appeared in 80 games for the Yankees over two seasons, compiling a 4.89 ERA, an 8–8 record, and 87 strikeouts.
The righty is the latest former Yankee to head out west, joining a recent list that includes Luis Severino, Gio Urshela and Miguel Andújar, all of whom wore the Athletics’ green and yellow after their time in New York.
It’s clear that Bombers GM Brian Cashman was aiming to restructure the bullpen, having shown little interest in bringing back Leiter or Williams, especially with only seven teams in the league posting a worse bullpen ERA than the Yankees did (4.37) in 2025.
Relievers and closers have already started shuffling teams this offseason, highlighted by former Met Edwin Díaz signing with the back-to-back World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers to become the highest-paid reliever in annual salary, and former Padre Robert Suárez joining the Atlanta Braves on a three-year, $45 million deal.
With Leiter gone and the Yankees needing to fill the void left by him and Williams, expect Cashman to pursue additional arms to bolster a hopefully new-and-improved bullpen, with names like Trevor Megill and JoJo Romero reportedly in the mix.
The Yankees will report to Florida in just two months, with spring training officially beginning on February 20, 2026, with an away game against the Baltimore Orioles — potentially a preview of an AL East that promises to be as competitive as ever, especially following Baltimore’s stunning signing of former Mets slugger Pete Alonso.