The Yankees signed LHP Brandon Leibrandt to a minor league contract, according to the team’s transaction page.
Leibrandt, 31, was a sixth-round pick for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2014 draft but didn’t make his MLB debut until 2020 with the Miami Marlins. That season, Leibrandt pitched to a 2.00 ERA over five appearances.
He wouldn’t get another chance at the majors until 2024. This past season, he was in the Cincinnati Reds system and made two appearances for the National League squad. In that time, Leibrandt allowed seven runs on 11 hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. He was a tad better in the minors, pitching to a 4.41 ERA and struck out 80 batters over 17 starts (83.2 IP).
While those numbers aren’t great, his seven percent career walk rate means he has control of his pitches and could be a decent depth piece on a Yankees squad if he makes it out of camp this spring.
The Yankees do have a track record of rehabilitating pitchers who have performed poorly on different teams, and you don’t have to look any further than LHP Tim Hill this past season. The 34-year-old southpaw had a 5.87 ERA in 27 appearances with the Chicago White Sox before he was released mid-season and the Yankees signed him. Hill excelled with New York, pitching to a 2.05 ERA over 35 appearances.
Now with Hill exploring free agency, the Yankees could be looking at another reclimation project.
