Why did the Yankees release Dominican pitcher Albert Abreu on the market?

With the New York Yankees’ need to reinforce their pitching staff, the decisions they have made with several of their pitchers have not ceased to cause astonishment in the MLB.

After letting Luis Severino leave in Major League free agency, they recently announced that they would not offer a contract for 2024 to three pitchers. With Anthony Misiewicz and Lou Trivino, the decision to cut the link is not surprising.

But in the case of Albert Abreu, it is a little more difficult to understand the reasons that led to the determination. The Dominican right-hander was one of the top prospects of the New York organization and, although they sent him in a trade to Texas for José Treviño in 2022, they managed to get him back in a few months, when they took him off waivers where Kansas City put him.

At the time, manager Aaron Boone celebrated his return and said it in statements to the NY Post: “He pitched well for us last year. He was in some significant situations and was able to handle them. Hopefully, we were able to get it back and make sure it contributes to what we’re doing.”

Abreu received an opportunity to remain on the big team in 2023 as a reliever due to injuries to several pitchers. He didn’t do so well. The 28-year-old Dominican made 45 appearances with a 2-2 record, 4.73 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 59.0 innings. It made the news when he hit Randy Arozarena with a ball that caused the benches to empty.

They are not horrible numbers, but perhaps the physical problems weighed in the decision. The right-hander ended the season in the first week of September due to a femoral strain in his right leg and they probably preferred not to take risks.

The player is now available in free agency, but this might not mean a permanent departure from New York. He was projected to earn a salary of $900,000 in 2024 and the Yankees could renegotiate a deal allowing his return to the organization.