The New York Yankees have made a late addition to their potential bullpen options with an experienced relief pitcher.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees have signed Rafael Montero to a free agent contract.
Montero’s name may sound familiar to baseball fans because he began his MLB career pitching in four seasons for the New York Mets.
Montero is 35 years old now, having pitched in parts of 11 MLB seasons.
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He has a 2022 World Series ring from time with the Houston Astros.
His journey began with the Mets from 2014-17. He threw in 58 games for the Mets with a 5.38 ERA.
His next stop was a pair of seasons with the Texas Rangers, making 39 appearances in total with a 3.09 ERA.
He then split the 2021 season between the Mariners and Astros, and he stayed with the Astros through early in the 2025 campaign.
Montero has pitched more for the Astros than anyone, 187 appearances out of the bullpen with a 3.82 ERA.
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From there, he made 36 appearances for the Braves in 2025 with a 5.50 ERA.
He finished 2025 with 20 outings with the Tigers and a 2.86 ERA.
In 2025, Montero struck out 8.3 batters per nine innings. His career ratio is 8.9.
His career ERA is 4.68, but he’s a proven veteran.
Even if Montero doesn’t make the Opening Day roster in the Bronx, he’ll likely get a chance to contribute in pinstripes at some point.
It’s been a while, but he already knows what it’s like to pitch in the Big Apple.
