WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. and the Athletics completed their $2.85 million, one-year contract on Wednesday.
Leiter, 34, is the latest pitcher to leave the Yankees after they declined to tender him a contract last month along with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. He spent parts of the past two seasons with New York, which acquired him at the trade deadline from the Cubs in 2024.
He went 6-7 with a 4.84 ERA and two saves over 11 outings and 48 1/3 innings this year.
Leiter’s father and uncle also pitched for the Yankees.
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FILE - New York Yankees pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. delivers during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Outfielder Lane Thomas and the Kansas City Royals finalized a $5.25 million, one-year contract on Wednesday.
Thomas can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses.
He had nine RBIs for Cleveland in the 2024 AL Division Series against Detroit but hit .160 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 125 at-bats over 39 games this year in an injury-decimated season with Cleveland. He batted .268 for Washington in 2023, when he set career bests with 28 homers, 86 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.
Thomas didn’t play between April 8 and 15 this year because of a bone bruise in his right wrist sustained when hit by a pitch from Shane Smith of the Chicago White Sox and between April 19 and May 22 because of the same injury. He was out between May 26 and June 9 due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
He played his last big league game of the season on July 4, then was sidelined again because of the foot injury, though he did appear in three Double-A games from Sept. 2-5 as part of an injury rehabilitation assignment. He has surgery on Sept. 23.
A year earlier, he hit a tiebreaking grand slam off Detroit ace Tarik Skubal in Game 5 on an AL Wild Card Series.
Thomas had a $7,825,000 salary in a one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. He became a free agent last month.
Now 30, Thomas has a .242 average with 76 homers and 254 RBIs in seven seasons with St. Louis (2019-21), Washington (2021-24) and the Guardians, who acquired him from the Nationals ahead of the 2024 trade deadline for infielder José Tena, left-hander Alex Clemmey and infielder Rafael Ramirez Jr.
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FILE - Cleveland Guardians' Lane Thomas (8) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, July 2, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)
