Yankees Want Dom Hamel; Pick Marco Luciano, Jayvien Sandridge For Assignment
The Yankees have announced that they are looking for a right-hander Dom Hamel without compromising on Rangers. They also chose the left Jayvien Sandridge and foreign player Marco Luciano by share. Two DFAs open roster spots for Hamel and Cody BellingerHis five-year deal was made official yesterday. Texas designated Hamel to work out last week when they signed Jacob Junis.
Hamel, 27 in March, just made his major league debut not too long ago. He threw a scoreless inning against the Mets on September 17, his only major league appearance. Soon after, the Mets placed him on waivers, with the Orioles and Rangers claiming him in quick succession. Texas held him for a few months but brought him back on the phone this week.
The righty came out of the Mets system as a starter but lack of control pushed him to the bullpen in 2025. He went 67 2/3 innings in addition to 31 Triple-A appearances last year. 11 of them were official startups but most were opener style. His 5.32 earned run average wasn’t great but he struck out 25.2% of the batters he faced and showed improved control with a 7.4% walk rate. His four-seamer and sinker both averaged in the low 90s while he also mixed in a cutter, slider and changeup.
Hamel still has a few options, so the Yankees can keep him deep in the minors. They may also try to bring him back from suspension next time. He has no direct previous employment and has less than three years of service, which means he will not have the right to refuse direct assignment in favor of a free offer.
Speaking of returning players, that has been the story of Luciano’s season. Once a top prospect, his stock has fallen as he has reached his option years. That has pushed him into his position and it looks like there are several clubs hoping to pass him on waivers, in which case he can be kept in the minor leagues as an entry on the roster. He finished the 2025 season with the Giants but then went to the Pirates, Orioles and Yankees via waivers.
He has a solid batting line of .217/.286/.304 in his major league career while striking out in 35.7% of his plate appearances. His Triple-A line of .227/.351/401 is better but he came in the newly minted Pacific Coast League and still sees him hit 29.6% of the time. He was moved from midfield to left wing last year, which only put pressure on him to produce offensively.
The numbers weren’t great but Luciano is only 24 years old and was a top 100 prospect not too long ago. His tenure is less than a year away, meaning he could be retained for six full seasons by a team. It is understood that the teams were hoping that the player would eventually explode. Now that he’s in DFA limbo again, he’ll either move on or go public next week.
Sandridge, 27 next month, earned a major league roster spot for the first time with the Yankees last year. He made just one appearance, against the Mets on July 5. He was given a limp, walking Juan Soto then he allowed a home run Pete Alonso. He sat for a while with the beating Brandon Nimmo again Mark Vientosbut then he left Luis Torrens and hit Jeff McNeil by pitch before removal.
That one look bears some resemblance to his minor league record, which featured plenty of strikeouts but a lack of control. He threw 36 2/3 innings on the farm for the Yankees last year with a 4.66 ERA. He struck out 32.7% of the batters he faced but issued 19 walks, which is 11.4%. He also struck out three more batters and threw six wild pitches. He averaged 95 miles per hour with his four-seamer and sinker while throwing a splitter and slider.
He will now be in DFA limbo for about a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Yankees can take five days to receive trade interest, but they can immediately put him on the phone again. With few options, he can appeal if there is a club interested in Arsenal and looking for more depth.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
