Reliever Joely Rodriguez stays with New York Yankees, agrees to $2 million, one-year contract

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Thursday, November 11, 2021

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Left-hander Joely Rodriguez and the New York Yankees agreed to a $2 million, one-year contract Wednesday night, three days after New York declined a $3 million option in favor of a $500,000 buyout.

In addition to his salary, Rodriguez can earn $250,000 in performance bonuses for games pitched: $50,000 each for 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70.

The 29-year-old Rodriguez was acquired from Texas on July 29 with outfielder Joey Gallo for minor league right-hander Glenn Otto and infielders Ezequiel Duran, Trevor Hauver and Josh Smith. Frequently lined up against opponents' best left-handed hitters, Rodriguez was 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in 21 games with the Yankees.

He finished the season 2-3 with one save and a 4.66 ERA in a career-high 52 relief appearances, holding left-handed batters to a .203 average (12 for 59).

Rodriguez is 3-5 with one save and a 4.62 ERA in four seasons with Philadelphia (2016-17), Texas (2020-21) and the Yankees. He pitched in Japan for the Central League's Chunichi Dragons in 2018-19, going 3-7 with a 1.85 ERA in 90 relief appearances.

Rodriguez was not among the five pitchers the Yankees used in their loss to the Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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