The New York Yankees have added left-hander Tim Mayza to their roster after signing him to a minor league deal following his release from the Toronto Blue Jays last month. Mayza’s addition comes after the Yankees optioned Will Warren and designated Enyel De Los Santos for assignment earlier in the week, creating space on both the active and 40-man rosters.
Mayza has had a turbulent 2024 season. Before this year, he was a reliable reliever for the Blue Jays, making 317 appearances from 2017 to 2023, with a 3.47 ERA despite missing the 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery. During that time, he posted a 25.7% strikeout rate, a 7.8% walk rate, and induced ground balls on 54.4% of balls in play, accumulating four saves and 77 holds.
However, his performance in 2024 took a significant downturn, with a disastrous 8.04 ERA over 35 appearances. His struggles were partly due to a high .367 batting average on balls in play and a low 54.8% strand rate, but his strikeout rate also dropped to 13.2%.
The Blue Jays designated Mayza for assignment at the end of June, and since he had over five years of service time, he had the right to reject an outright assignment while keeping his $3.59 million salary. The Blue Jays released him outright, making them responsible for the remainder of his salary.
After joining the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Mayza made nine appearances, allowing just two earned runs over 8 1/3 innings, with eight strikeouts and three walks. His solid performance earned him another opportunity in the majors, providing Yankees manager Aaron Boone with another left-handed option alongside Tim Hill.
Given that Mayza now has more than five years of service time, he cannot be sent to the minors without his consent. If he performs well, the Yankees can retain him through arbitration for the 2025 season. For now, the move carries little risk, as the Yankees only need to pay him the prorated league minimum for his time on the roster, with the Blue Jays covering the rest of his salary, which also slightly affects their competitive balance tax calculation.
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