LEITER & THE YANKEES MADE NICE

The Yankees successfully dodged arbitration hearings with all their eligible players—except for one: right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr.

Leiter Jr. landed in the Bronx via a trade with the Cubs before last year’s deadline, and let’s just say his performance was… a mixed bag. When it came time to talk money, he asked for $2.5 million, while the Yankees countered with $2.05 million. No handshake deal was reached, so off to arbitration they went.

MLB insider Mark Feinsand broke the news that the Yankees came out on top.

“The Yankees have won their arbitration hearing against Mark Leiter Jr., per source. Leiter will earn $2.05 million; he had filed for $2.5 million,” Feinsand reported.

Honestly, it’s not shocking. Leiter’s 2024 campaign was nothing to write home about. Across 58 innings split between the Cubs and Yankees, he put up a 4.50 ERA—hardly dominant. His time in New York? Even less impressive. And while I wasn’t exactly rooting to see him on the mound in October, he did what he could. Not that it mattered, since the Dodgers steamrolled us anyway.

At the end of the day, the Yankees absolutely had the stronger case. Leiter’s got talent but having a famous last name doesn’t automatically make you a legend. Still, I’m glad he’s sticking around. Here’s hoping he turns things around in 2025—because, let’s face it, we could use all the help we can get.