Scott Effross finished the the 2025 regular season on the New York Yankees‘ active roster. Yet after enduring a roller coaster season that saw him optioned and recalled from the minor leagues three times apiece, it was hardly a surprise to see Effross head elsewhere in free agency.
The Detroit Tigers signed Effross to a minor league contract, according to his transactions page, giving him a chance to return to the big leagues in 2026 with one of the Yankees’ top rivals in the American League.
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Effross battled a left hamstring strain in spring training, and began the 2025 season on the Yankees’ injured list. He was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre once healthy, then wasn’t recalled again until June.
Effross, 32, finished the season 0-0 with an 8.44 ERA in 11 major league games for the Yankees. He also went 2-4 with a 6.37 ERA in 28 games at Triple-A.
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Effross pitched in three games with the Yankees in September 2024. Prior to that, he hadn’t appeared in a big-league game since 2022, losing time to Tommy John surgery and the subsequent rehabilitation process. In 88 career MLB games, Effross is 3-5 with a 3.59 ERA.
The Yankees originally acquired Effross from the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 1, 2022 for right-hander Hayden Wesneski.
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Effross, 32, was projected to make $800,000 in his first year of arbitration eligibility by MLB Trade Rumors. The Yankees chose to non-tender him instead, making him a free agent.
Effross is still looking to recapture his pre-surgery form. With the Cubs and Yankees from 2021-22, he struck out 80 batters and walked only 16 across 71.1 innings. His 2.78 ERA (151 ERA+) and 1.037 WHIP made him an option in high-leverage situations.
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Since then, however, Effross has appeared in only 14 big league games, allowing 12 runs (7.71 ERA) and 19 hits in 14 innings.
With the Tigers, he’ll have a chance to compete for bullpen innings with a team coming off back-to-back American League Division Series appearances, having won 86 and 87 games in the AL Central the last two years, respectively.
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