Yankees cut ties with former top-100 prospect

The New York Yankees had a couple of decisions to make on contract options.

They chose to exercise the option on left-handed reliever Tim Hill.

But on the flip side, they declined the option to keep Jonathan Loaisiga, according to ESPN's Jorge Castillo.

It's been a tough fall for Loaisiga. He was ranked a top-70 prospect in baseball before the 2019 season by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball Prospectus.

His initial forays into the majors were promising, too. 

He made 57 appearances in 2021 and had a 2.17 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 70.2 innings.

The next season, in 50 outings, Loaisiga put up a 4.13 ERA. The following year, in 17 times on the mound, Loaisiga's ERA was 3.06.

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Injuries limited Loisiga to just three appearances in 2024. This season, his ERA was 4.25 in 30 outings with worse underlying metrics.

Loaisiga turned 30 on Nov. 2. The Yankees would've had to pay him $5 million in 2026, and he would've occupied a roster spot it's not immediately clear the Yanks will have available.

Instead, Loaisiga will hit the open market with a strong pedigree but a bumpier recent history. Someone will surely take a chance on him, but he'll likely have to show up in a new spring camp in February and March and prove that he still belongs at the MLB level.

The Yankees, after hefty bullpen additions at the trade deadline, should have plenty of depth there, even if Devin Williams departs in free agency.

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