Yankees cut four while Mets scoop up two more with Bronx ties

TAMPA, Fla. — Spring training is only a few days old and the New York Yankees are already cleaning house at the lower levels. The club cut four minor leaguers loose on Monday as pitchers, catchers and position players settle into camp at Steinbrenner Field.

Across the state in Port St. Lucie, the Mets have been busy too. But instead of trimming, they are collecting. And two of their newest additions carry Bronx zip codes on their baseball resumes.

Yankees trim four from the farm

The four players released were outfielder Joe Delossantos, right-handed pitcher Hansel Rosario, right-handed pitcher Cade Austin, and right-handed pitcher Justin Lange, per Yankees Prospect Watch.

None of the names will shock most fans, but one stands out. Lange was a first-round pick in the 2020 draft, taken 34th overall by the San Diego Padres. The Yankees acquired him in a straight trade for first baseman Luke Voit in March 2022. His fastball sat in the mid-to-upper 90s at its peak, but recurring shoulder problems stalled his climb through the system. He missed all of 2024 with a shoulder injury. When he returned to Single-A Tampa in 2025, he gave up five earned runs in 5.1 innings and never found his footing. At 24, Lange now faces an uncertain future.

Delossantos, a 10th-round pick from 2024, hit just .294 slugging in 31 rookie ball games across two seasons. Rosario, signed as an international free agent in 2021, posted a 6.92 ERA and never got past rookie ball. Austin, a 19th-round selection in 2023, was the surprise of the group. He carried a 3.36 ERA over two minor league seasons, making his release harder to explain.

These are the quiet moves that happen every February. Roster spots are limited. The Yankees have four prospects on MLB Pipeline’s top-100 list and a deep system at starting pitcher. Tough decisions come with the territory.

Mets grab Tauchman, a former pinstripes outfielder

While the Yankees were cutting, the Mets were shopping at the clearance rack and finding value. On Monday, the club agreed to a minor league deal with veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.

Tauchman, 35, wore pinstripes from 2019 to 2021. His best campaign in the Bronx came in that first year, when he slashed .277/.361/.504 with 13 home runs and earned 3.9 bWAR. He went on to play for the Giants, spent the 2022 season in Korea with the Hanwha Eagles, then suited up for the Cubs and White Sox.

Last season with Chicago’s South Siders, Tauchman posted a .263/.356/.400 line with nine home runs in 93 games. His plate discipline remains elite. He has posted an OBP above .356 in each of the past three years and owns a career mark of .347. He will enter camp as a non-roster invitee competing for the open right field job or a bench role.

The Mets shifted Juan Soto to left field and installed Luis Robert Jr. in center this offseason, leaving right field wide open. Top prospect Carson Benge is the frontrunner, but the front office wants proven depth behind him. Tauchman provides exactly that.

Rortvedt lands in Queens after a wild waiver ride

Tauchman is not the only former Yankee headed to Flushing. The Mets also claimed catcher Ben Rortvedt off waivers from the Dodgers on Sunday, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Right-hander Dedniel Nunez was moved to the 60-day injured list to clear room on the 40-man roster.

Rortvedt, 28, made his big league debut with the Twins in 2021 and later spent time in the Yankees organization before bouncing to the Rays and Dodgers. His offseason has been a roller coaster. The Dodgers first placed him on waivers in November. The Reds claimed him. Cincinnati then designated him for assignment after signing Eugenio Suarez. The Dodgers reclaimed him. Then they DFA’d him again to make room for reliever Evan Phillips. This time, the Mets pounced.

Rortvedt’s value is behind the plate. He grades out as above average in pitch framing and blocking. He earned a World Series ring with the Dodgers last fall after going 3-for-7 in the playoffs. His career slash line of .190/.279/.270 is light, but the Mets are not bringing him in to hit. He slots in behind Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens on the catching depth chart.

One complication: Rortvedt has no minor league options remaining. The Mets will either carry three catchers or risk losing him on waivers again before Opening Day.

Two teams, two different approaches to February roster moves

The Yankees are thinning the lower levels to make room for a prospect-heavy system that includes George Lombard Jr., Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez and Dax Kilby. At the big league level, the club is running back essentially the same 94-win roster from 2025, waiting on Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt to return from the injured list as the season progresses.

The Mets, meanwhile, are stacking depth everywhere they can. David Stearns has added Tauchman, Rortvedt, MJ Melendez and former Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes to the mix in the span of a week. It is the kind of fringe roster building that does not generate headlines but often decides pennant races in September.

Grapefruit League games open Friday. Both New York clubs will have their first spring look at each other on Feb. 22 in Tampa. By then, a few more names will have been added, and a few more will be gone. That is the nature of spring training. The interesting part for Yankees fans is how many of those departing names end up wearing blue and orange.

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