The New York Yankees have decided to part ways with reliever Duane Underwood Jr., releasing him despite his solid performance at the Triple-A level. Signed during the offseason to a minor-league deal, Underwood was never called up to contribute to the Yankees’ major-league bullpen. This decision, as reflected in his MiLB page, ends his short stint with the organization.
Strong performance at Triple-A
Despite his Triple-A success, where he posted a respectable 3.26 ERA over 38 2/3 innings, Underwood’s elevated walk rate (14%) likely played a significant role in the Yankees’ decision not to promote him. MLB Trade Rumors pointed out that this high walk rate contributed to projected ERAs significantly higher than his actual ERA, which might have deterred the Yankees from bringing him up to the majors.
Underwood, who is 30 years old, has five years of MLB experience under his belt with a career ERA of 4.63. His career walk rate sits at 9%, but it increased to 11% during his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023, where he pitched 24 1/3 innings. Despite these numbers, Underwood’s ability to limit runs at the Triple-A level suggests that he could still be of value to another team in need of a veteran arm with big-league experience.
Yankees’ bullpen strength
The Yankees’ bullpen, currently ranked fourth in the league with a 3.49 ERA, has been one of the team’s strengths this season. This likely contributed to Underwood’s release, as the Yankees have not needed additional bullpen help. Even though Underwood’s stuff appeared to decline in 2023, with a strikeout rate of 23.4% this season—just above the major-league average—he could still attract interest from other teams looking to bolster their pitching staff.
Underwood’s professional journey began when he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft. At one point, he was ranked as high as No. 77 on MLB Pipeline’s prospect list going into 2016. Although he hasn’t fully lived up to that early potential, his experience and occasional flashes of effectiveness might still earn him another opportunity in the majors, just not with the Yankees.
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