Sep 19, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. (56) throws during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
To tender or not to tender, that is the question facing New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. According to CBS Sports’ R.J. Anderson, Cashman has until Friday to tender contracts for the 2026 season to players not already under guaranteed deals.
On the other hand, Cashman can cut ties with those players and make them immediate free agents, which is likely to happen for several arbitration-eligible players.
That could include right-hander Mark Leiter Jr., who went 6-7 with a 4.84 ERA in 59 appearances last season for the Yankees.
“Leiter is a better pitcher than his bloated 4.84 ERA indicates. Need evidence? He ranked in the 92nd percentile in average exit velocity and he struck out roughly a quarter of the batters he faced,” Anderson notes.
“Unfortunately, that lead-in sentiment has applied for most of his career — and that’s not a good sign when you’re talking about a right-handed reliever nearing his age-35 campaign,” Anderson adds. “The Yankees are skilled enough at finding cheap relief arms that I think they part ways here. Prediction: Non-tendered.”
The Yankees acquired Leiter from the Chicago Cubs before the 2024 MLB trade deadline. He made six postseason appearances for New York over the last two seasons, going 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA.
Leiter, who went to high school in Toms River, N.J. and attended New Jersey Insititute of Technology, comes from a long line of Leiters to take a big-league mound.
His father, Mark Leiter, spent 11 seasons in the majors and pitched for the Yankees in 1990.
His uncle, Al Leiter, was a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, winning titles in 1993 with the Toronto Blue Jays and in 1997 with the Florida Marlins. Leiter made his MLB debut in 1987 with the Yankees and later pitched for the New York Mets from 1998 to 2004. Leiter finished his 19-year career with the Yankees in 2005.
Al Leiter’s son, Jack Leiter , currently is a starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers. Jack Leiter attended Delbarton School in Morristown, N.J. with current Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.
The Yankees selected Jack Leiter in the 20th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, but the right-hander opted to honor his commitment to Vanderbilt University. The Rangers selected Leiter with the No. 2 pick overall in 2021.
Leiter made his MLB debut in 2024 and became a rotation mainstay for Texas in 2025, going 10-10 with a 3.86 ERA in 29 starts.
As for Mark Leiter Jr., MLB Trade Rumors projects he will make $3 million if he goes to arbitration.
“We didn’t play our best tonight, and it’s frustrating. The injuries are piling up, but we can’t let that be an excuse. We’ve got to fight through it, especially when we have a chance to take control. We’ll need to learn from this and be ready for the road trip.”
— Jeremy Swayman, on the Bruins’ frustrating loss to the Hurricanes.
Boston Bruins fans were hoping for another strong performance on Monday night, but instead, their team fell flat in a
The Bruins entered the game already dealing with several key injuries. Elias Lindholm remains sidelined, and both
The turning point came in the
Despite having four power-play opportunities, the Bruins failed to capitalize. They registered just five shots during those man-advantage situations, and
The Bruins pushed hard in the
After the game, Jeremy Swayman voiced his frustration: “We didn’t play our best tonight, and it’s frustrating. The injuries are piling up, but we can’t let that be an excuse. We’ve got to fight through it, especially when we have a chance to take control. We’ll need to learn from this and be ready for the road trip.”
The Bruins will now embark on a four-game road trip, starting with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night in Southern California. With their injury list growing,