The Yankees reassigned Brewer to minor-league camp Saturday. Brewer is expected to open the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he'll work out of the bullpen. He finished the spring with a 0.90 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 10 innings in the Grapefruit League and could put himself on the radar for a promotion to the majors with a strong showing at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre early on in the season.
The Yankees signed Brewer to a minor-league contract Tuesday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports. Brewer's 2024 season with the Cubs was cut short in early July after he punched the dugout wall with his left hand and fractured it as a result. The right-hander started throwing to batters in August and began a rehab assignment in September, but he was not activated before the season ended. The 32-year-old went unclaimed while on waivers after the Cubs removed him from their active roster in November. After posting a 5.22 ERA in 2024, Brewer will look to rebound with the Yankees.
Brewer elected free agency Monday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Brewer passed through waivers unclaimed after the Cubs removed him from their 40-man roster, but he'll test out free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment. The right-handed reliever held a 5.66 ERA and 22:9 K:BB across 20.2 frames in 2024.