Pitcher Leaves Yankees Organization for Taiwan
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The New York Yankees signed Brandon Leibrandt to a minor league contract last November, and invited the second-generation pitcher to spring training.
The 32-year-old lefty made a good case to be part of the Yankees' bullpen, with a 2.19 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 12.1 spring innings. But ultimately he was reassigned to minor league camp, and assigned to Triple-A to start the season.
More news: Veteran Pitcher Elects to Leave Yankees for Diamondbacks: Report
With the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Leibrandt continued to impress. He had a 1-0 record and a 2.85 ERA through 10 games (nine starts), but still had not gotten a call to the majors when he was released Tuesday.
Brandon Leibrandt #69 of the Philadelphia Phillies poses for a portrait on February 20, 2018 at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida.
Brandon Leibrandt #69 of the Philadelphia Phillies poses for a portrait on February 20, 2018 at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, Florida.Thursday, the Taiwan-based CTBC Brothers announced they had signed Leibrandt for the remainder of the Chinese Professional Baseball League season.
CTBC Brothers have signed 32-year-old American LHP Brandon Leibrandt. pic.twitter.com/f9dERENyeX — CPBL STATS (Taiwan Dark Lemon) 🪬🔮 (@GOCPBL) June 12, 2025
Leibrandt becomes the second pitcher at Scranton Wilkes-Barre to leave the organization this week. Earlier Thursday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that veteran Anthony DeSclafani opted out of his minor league deal with the Yankees to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose bullpen is in shambles.
More news: Mets Pitcher Leaves Game With Injury, Will Go On Injured List
Leibrandt, the son of former major league pitcher Charlie Leibrandt, hasn't pitched in the majors since his two appearances for the Cincinnati Reds last season. Prior to 2024, Leibrandt's MLB experience consisted of five games with the Miami Marlins during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Now, if he intends to make it back to MLB, Leibrandt will have to go an ocean away to get there.
More news: Nine-Time All-Star Pitcher Signs Days After Being Designated for Assignment
It isn't uncommon for veteran major league pitchers who do not sign a major league contract as free agents to go the minor-league route in a quest to resuscitate their careers.
Leibrandt will head to Taiwan, to a league where Chin-Hui Tsao, Nelson Figueroa, and Jerome Williams among others have revived their MLB careers.
More news: Former Cy Young Award Winner to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Despite his success in Triple-A, Leibrandt's path to innings in the majors was blocked, as noted by Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors.
Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Will Warren and Ryan Yarbrough are all healthy and relatively productive. Marcus Stroman and JT Brubaker are on injury rehabilitation assignments. Luis Gil, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is throwing bullpens as he prepares to rejoin the Yankees rotation.
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