Left hand Brooks Raley is getting interest from clubs as he continues to undergo Tommy John surgery over the summer, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Cubs and Yankees have reached out and other teams have discussed multi-year arrangements with Raley, although it is unclear whether the Cubs and Yankees have expressed interest in a multi-year deal.
Raley, 36, made his major league debut for the Cubs back in 2012 but had a career 38 1/3 innings before retiring stateside for South Korea in 2015. He spent several years playing in the KBO before returning to the big leagues in time. 2020 season as a middle relief option. He enjoyed a brief respite in Tampa back in 2022, however, and since then he hasn’t been very good when healthy enough to take the mound with a 2.58 ERA (153 ERA+), 3.13 FIP, and a 27.3% strikeout rate. when he was healthy enough to take the mound three years ago with the Rays and Mets.
As dominant as he has been in recent years, the player on the wrong side of 35 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery comes with many question marks. That may make the idea of a multi-year contract seem strange, but in other ways it can help the winning club reliably secure a return on its investment. After all, Raley’s stats will only be available for the second half in 2025 and some players need time to shake off the rust following a long layoff like the one Raley is currently facing. Given that, a deal that pays Raley a minimum salary through 2025 but comes with a guaranteed second year at a higher rate would make sense for both parties by guaranteeing Raley a long-term opportunity in the event of surgery while giving the club some protection for Raley. struggling in his first return from surgery before righting the ship and returning to form later.
When you look at the teams linked to Raley, it’s easy to see why he might be interested. The Cubs have been in the market for help all winter, and while the club has already signed them Caleb Thielbar like their bullpen’s left pick last month that probably wouldn’t have prevented them from adding a player like Raley who is both a stronger late-entry arm than Thielbar and won’t make the club’s Opening Day roster due to his rehab timeline. Chicago has also shown a willingness to sign rehabbing players. They were involved in Liam Hendriks‘ market last winter and previously signed players Kendall Graveman again Drew Smyly while they are renovating.
On the other hand, the Yankees have already come Devin Williams to replace Clay Holmes in the ninth inning, giving them a solid one-two punch behind the bullpen with Luke Weaver he is set for the eighth role. One area where the club’s bullpen could stand to improve, however, is from the left side. The Southpaw Tim Hill well placed with the Yanks in 2024 but is currently a free agent. While Raley will be out for at least the first half of the season, the club currently has no left-handed shortstops on its 40-man roster and could be forced to use the splits effectively. Mark Leiter Jr. against solid left-handed relievers in 2025 without an outfield addition.
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