Yankees lose ex-Brewers pitcher to MLB free agency

The New York Yankees own the best record in the American League and have a strong starting rotation. 

Their bullpen could be an area of focus at the upcoming trade deadline. 

On Friday, the Yankees lost bullpen depth in the minors. 

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that right-hander Peter Strzelecki opted out of his minor league deal with the Yankees and is now a free agent. 

Strzelecki, 31, signed with the Yankees on May 23 and made six appearances with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowing four earned runs while striking out nine of the 22 batters he faced. 

From 2022-24, he threw 83.2 combined innings with the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Cleveland Guardians, posting a respectable 3.44 ERA during that stretch. 

There was no clear path to the Majors for Strzelecki with the Yankees. Chances are, other potential bullpen arms like Carlos Lagrange and Yovanny Cruz are well ahead of him on the depth chart. 

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He secured a minor league pact with the Brewers ahead of the 2026 season and was added to the active roster in May. However, he did not make an appearance with Milwaukee and was DFA'd shortly thereafter. 

Strzelecki is free to negotiate with any club that shows interest. 

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