TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees are days away from their first Grapefruit League game. Pitchers and catchers have reported. The clubhouse is buzzing with optimism for a new season. But quietly, the front office made a move that caught the attention of bullpen watchers across baseball.
It is not a blockbuster trade. It is not a nine-figure contract. It is the kind of signing that can slip past the headlines. Yet for a Yankees team that lost two key relief arms this winter, this addition could matter more than most fans realize.
A bullpen in transition after tough departures
The Yankees enter 2026 without two pitchers who defined their late-inning identity last season. Devin Williams is gone. Luke Weaver is gone. Both signed with the crosstown rival New York Mets during free agency.
Weaver’s exit stung the most for Yankees fans. He converted every save chance during the 2024 postseason run and posted a 2.89 ERA that year with 103 strikeouts. He became a beloved figure at Yankee Stadium. But the Yankees never made him an offer. The Mets swooped in with a deal worth around $22 million.
Williams, meanwhile, struggled through a rocky 2025 campaign with a 4.79 ERA and lost his closer role in August. David Bednar, acquired at the trade deadline, eventually took over as the Yankees’ ninth-inning man.
General manager Brian Cashman also non-tendered Jake Cousins, Scott Effross, Mark Leiter Jr. and Ian Hamilton. Jonathan Loaisiga’s club option was declined. The bullpen needed reinforcements. Badly.
Yankees roll the dice on a World Series champion
On Thursday, the Yankees signed veteran right-hander Rafael Montero to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.
Reporter Hector Gomez of Z101Digital.com first broke the news. The deal carries a $1.8 million base salary if Montero makes the Opening Day roster. He also stands to earn a $500,000 roster bonus. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the total package could reach $1.85 million with enough time on the big league roster.
Montero, 35, is no stranger to October baseball. He was a member of the 2022 Houston Astros team that won the World Series. He even pitched in the combined no-hitter during Game 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies. That postseason pedigree is part of what makes this gamble intriguing for the Yankees.
The Dominican-born right-hander split the 2025 season across three organizations. He started the year in Houston on the final season of a three-year contract. The Astros traded him to the Atlanta Braves in April to shed salary. Atlanta then flipped him to the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline.
Montero’s combined numbers in 2025 were not pretty. He finished with a 4.48 ERA over 60.1 innings and 59 appearances. He struck out 58 batters but walked 37, producing a walk rate near 15 percent.
But here is where it gets interesting. After arriving in Detroit, Montero turned things around. He posted a 2.86 ERA in 20 appearances with the Tigers down the stretch. He earned a spot on their postseason roster. The Tigers believed in him enough to carry him into October.
Who is Rafael Montero?
Born on Oct. 17, 1990, in Higuerito, Dominican Republic, Montero signed with the New York Mets as an international free agent in January 2011. He climbed through the minor league ranks quickly and made his MLB debut in 2014.
His debut was memorable. Montero took the mound at Citi Field against the Yankees and struck out Derek Jeter on a 3-2 fastball for his first major league strikeout. He spent four seasons with the Mets as a starter, showing flashes of talent but never fully breaking through.
Tommy John surgery wiped out his entire 2018 season. After electing free agency, he signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers and reinvented himself as a reliever. The results were immediate. He posted a 2.48 ERA with Texas in 2019 and went 8-for-8 in save chances during the shortened 2020 campaign.
A rough stint with the Seattle Mariners in 2021 nearly derailed his career. But Houston took a chance, and Montero rewarded them by becoming a key setup man for the 2022 championship team. He averaged around 95 mph on his fastball and added a splitter last season that became his primary weapon against left-handed hitters.
Over 11 big league seasons, Montero has pitched for six organizations. The Yankees will be his seventh.
Can Montero make a late-career surge in the Bronx?
The Yankees are betting on it. The last season lends some optimism.
In 2025, Montero logged a 4.48 ERA across 59 games while splitting time with Houston, Atlanta and Detroit. He struck out 58 and walked 37 in 60 1/3 innings, per the New York Post. ESPN lists his 2025 WHIP at 1.31.
But the finish is why the Yankees called. Montero posted a 2.86 ERA after the Tigers acquired him at the trade deadline.
The bullpen picture in the Bronx is starting to take shape. David Bednar and Camilo Doval anchor the back end. Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn are expected to fill key roles. But there are still open spots up for grabs.
Montero will compete against a crowded field that includes Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest, waiver pickup Osvaldo Bido, Jake Bird, Yerry De Los Santos, Kervin Castro, Angel Chivilli and Brent Headrick. Several of those arms still have minor league options remaining.
As an Article XX(b) free agent with six years of service time, Montero’s contract includes automatic opt-out dates five days before Opening Day, May 1 and June 1. If he triggers any of those, the Yankees must either promote him or release him within two days.
His mid-90s heat and developing splitter give the Yankees something to work with. For a franchise with World Series aspirations, a low-risk flier on a proven October arm makes all the sense in the world. The Yankees need depth. Montero needs a fresh start. Spring training in Tampa will decide whether this gamble pays off.
The first Grapefruit League game is set for Feb. 20. Montero’s audition starts now.
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