The New York Yankees have struggled since the All-Star break, and there doesn't seem to be one or two people to push the blame on. It's a mix of a lot of people not doing their jobs.
As a result, most of the blame is going on manager Aaron Boone, but in reality, it should be spread out across the players, specifically a few guys in the bullpen.
Stephen Parello of Yanks Go Yard recently suggested veteran pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. was at risk of being "thrown off the roster" down the stretch.
"Much of what can be said about Loaisiga can also be said about Mark Leiter Jr," Parello wrote. "A classic case of the peripherals not matching up with the results, Leiter Jr. has boasted an impressive strikeout rate, reasonable walk rate, and great home run suppression numbers, yet the hits just kept on coming before he landed on the IL.
"The Yankees have been cautious with Leiter Jr.'s return, and it's unclear when they'll be ready to ease off the throttle. The poor pre-injury performance isn't all Leiter Jr.'s fault; he was overused prior to his issue and sometimes put in spots that were beyond his capabilities, but it will cost him nonetheless."
The Yankees need all the help they can get in the bullpen. Leiter has been serviceable, given the circumstances, while there are other players in the bullpen who have struggled worse than he has.
The veteran pitcher doesn't have any options left on his contract, so it remains unlikely that he's designated for assignment. In all likelihood, if the Yankees are in a roster crunch, they'd opt to option somebody rather than DFA Leiter.
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