Yankees purge roster of former beloved Cubs in sweeping non-tender decisions

While the New York Yankees are eyeing a potential reunion with former Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger and could have interest in another, Kyle Tucker, they gutted their 40-man roster of former Cubs pitchers ahead of the non-tender deadline on Friday night. Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross, and Michael Arias have all suddenly become available on the free-agent market.

Leiter emerged as a high-leverage option out of the Cubs' bullpen during the 2023 season, posting a 3.50 ERA while striking out over 28% of the hitters he faced. The Cubs reworked Leiter's grip with his split-finger fastball, leading to him having excellent reverse splits. The issue for Leiter is that when he wasn't able to throw his splitter, he was incapable of being a dependable option in the bullpen.

Things took a turn for Leiter in 2024, posting a 4.21 ERA in 39 appearances with the Cubs before being traded to the Yankees at the deadline for relief pitcher Jack Neely and infielder Ben Cowles. Ever since the deal, Leiter hasn't been able to replicate his previous success with the Yankees.

Neely remains on the Cubs' 40-man roster, but posted a 6.23 ERA with the Iowa Cubs in 2025. Short of being an up-and-down arm for the Cubs next season, it doesn't seem that Neely will be counted on for any role of significance with the Major League team moving forward. Cowles, meanwhile, finished the 2025 season with the Chicago White Sox.

Yankees appear to be done with their former Chicago Cubs' bullpen arms project

The Cubs sold high on Effross at the 2022 trade deadline, sending him to the New York Yankees for Hayden Wesneski. Effross had an ERA of 2.66 in his final 47 outings with the Cubs, but injuries quickly led to him becoming an afterthought for the Yankees' Major League pitching staff. Wesneski, of course, was included in the Cubs' trade for Kyle Tucker last offseason.

As surprising as it was for the Cubs to designate Michael Arias for assignment last offseason, the Yankees' non-tendering him has turned some heads. Arias has yet to make his Major League debut, and it's possible this was a procedural move for the Yankees before bringing him back on a minor-league deal.

Given that the Cubs are always looking for depth, it wouldn't be a complete shock if they had interest in a reunion with Leiter or Effross. In their current form, neither should be viewed as an answer to the need the Cubs have in the bullpen, but they could be worthwhile reclamation projects.