The Yankees are playing roster roulette again, and one former elite prospect is paying the price. Here’s why this waiver-wire move might be smarter than it looks.
Tuesday brought a flurry of roster activity to the Bronx as the Yankees claimed right-hander Dom Hamel off waivers from the Texas Rangers. To make room, they designated two players for assignment: left-hander Jayvien Sandridge and infielder-outfielder Marco Luciano. The timing of these moves reflects the cutthroat reality of 40-man roster management as spring training approaches.
Who Is Dom Hamel?
The Yankees are betting on a 26-year-old pitcher who’s been bouncing around the league like a pinball. Hamel was originally a third-round pick by the Mets back in 2021 out of Dallas Baptist University, and his journey since then reads like a roadmap of opportunity and disappointment.
Last season, Hamel made his big league debut with a scoreless inning for the Mets against the Padres on September 17. Sounds promising, right? But here’s where it gets interesting. In Triple-A Syracuse, he posted a 5.32 ERA across 67.2 innings while striking out 75 batters in 31 appearances. That’s the kind of numbers that make scouts squint at the stat sheet.
The strikeout rate tells one story—Hamel can miss bats, fanning over 25% of batters he faced. The ERA tells another—he’s struggled with consistency. After his September call-up, the Mets designated him for assignment. The Orioles grabbed him. Then the Rangers. Now the Yankees.
What does New York see in a guy who’s been designated four times in four months? Options. Hamel still has minor league options remaining, which means the Yankees can shuttle him between Triple-A Scranton and the majors without exposing him to waivers. In today’s MLB, that flexibility is gold.
His pitch mix features a low-90s fastball (both four-seam and sinker varieties), supplemented by a cutter, slider, and changeup. Nothing that screams ace material, but enough weapons to carve out a role as organizational depth or a situational reliever if everything clicks in spring training.
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The Marco Luciano Puzzle
Now here’s the part that stings. Marco Luciano was once ranked as the 12th-best prospect in all of baseball. From 2020 to 2024, he appeared in Baseball America’s top 60 prospects list five consecutive years. That’s the kind of pedigree teams dream about.
The 24-year-old spent 2025 with Triple-A Sacramento, where he hit 23 home runs and drove in 66 runs. The power is real. But so is the 30.6% strikeout rate and the .214 batting average. Baseball is a cruel game for guys who can’t make consistent contact.
What makes this move particularly brutal? The Yankees just claimed Luciano off waivers from the Orioles seven days ago—on January 22. One week. That’s all the audition he got before being tossed back into the waiver wire wilderness.
This marks Luciano’s fourth organization since early December. The Giants cut him loose. The Pirates grabbed him and held him for exactly two weeks. The Orioles tried. Now the Yankees. Each team saw the same thing: tantalizing power offset by maddening inconsistency and zero minor league options left to work out the kinks in private.
Sandridge Gets the Axe Too
Jayvien Sandridge’s departure was more predictable. The left-hander got his first taste of the big leagues last season after signing a minor league deal, and it didn’t go well. On July 5 against the Mets, he surrendered a two-run homer (Pete Alonso), was removed after recording two outs, and finished with two runs allowed in 2/3 of an inning (27.00 ERA for the appearance).
The Bellinger Factor
These moves aren’t happening in a vacuum. The Yankees made Cody Bellinger’s five-year, $162.5 million contract official on Monday, and someone had to go to create roster space. Bellinger brings proven production. Hamel brings hope. Luciano and Sandridge become casualties of the roster crunch.
General manager Brian Cashman is essentially betting that Hamel’s strikeout upside and roster flexibility outweigh whatever ceiling Luciano might still have. It’s the kind of calculated gamble teams make when they’re trying to compete for championships while managing payroll constraints.
What Happens Next?
Both Luciano and Sandridge now enter a seven-day limbo. The Yankees can trade them, place them on outright waivers, or release them. Given Luciano’s recent waiver circuit journey, another team might claim him, hoping to be the organization that finally unlocks his potential. Teams love betting on former top prospects, especially ones with power.
Sandridge could find a home with a pitching-hungry organization willing to work on his command issues. He showed strikeout ability in Triple-A Scranton, posting 20 strikeouts across 12 innings earlier in the season, but wildness remains his Achilles heel.
As for Hamel, spring training in Tampa will determine whether he’s a hidden gem or just another organizational arm. The Yankees need bullpen depth after losing Luke Weaver and Devin Williams to the Mets this offseason, and limited payroll flexibility means scouring the waiver wire for diamonds in the rough.
The Yankees just chose potential over pedigree, betting that a 26-year-old journeyman with swing-and-miss stuff beats a 24-year-old former top prospect who can’t make contact. Only time will tell if they chose wisely.
Vikas Tiwari, writer and editor focused on Yankees news, rumors, trade updates, and game coverage, emphasizing accuracy, sourcing, and clarity.
