Athletics Sign Reliever Mark Leiter Jr. to $3M Deal

The Oakland Athletics have agreed to terms with veteran reliever Mark Leiter Jr. on a one-year contract worth approximately $3 million, pending a physical, sources confirmed Friday following the conclusion of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings. The 34-year-old right-hander, who turns 35 in March, becomes the first significant addition to the Athletics' bullpen this offseason as the team prepares for its inaugural season at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.

Leiter, a free agent after the New York Yankees nontendered him last month, brings seven years of major league experience across four teams. He debuted with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017, appeared in eight games for the Toronto Blue Jays the following year, and missed the 2019 season due to injury. Leiter established himself as a reliable reliever with the Chicago Cubs from 2022 to mid-2024, posting a 3.75 ERA over 100 2/3 innings in 2023 and 2024 combined, with a 3.12 FIP, a 30.9% strikeout rate, and an 8.8% walk rate. The Yankees acquired him from the Cubs on June 30, 2024, in exchange for minor leaguers Ben Cowles and Jack Neely. In his debut that evening, Leiter pitched a scoreless 10th inning in New York's...