Clarke Schmidt Signs 1-Year $4.5 Million Contract With New York Yankees
The New York Yankees, in a move that screams “We have bigger fish to fry,” have checked off one of their smaller, yet necessary, offseason boxes. The team has agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract with Starting Pitcher Clarke Schmidt, neatly avoiding what would have been a mildly interesting arbitration hearing.
So, while fans are dreaming of blockbuster trades and nine-figure free-agent signings, Brian Cashman is diligently working the phones to ensure a key, albeit currently injured, piece of the rotation doesn’t have to argue over a few hundred thousand dollars. It’s the kind of sensible, unsexy move that stabilizes the roster before the real chaos of the winter begins.
According to Robert Murray of Fansided, this deal keeps Schmidt in pinstripes for his penultimate year of arbitration eligibility. Let’s all breathe a collective, very calm sigh of relief. The fan-favorite righty, known for his bulldog mentality on the mound, will now get to focus entirely on his rehab from Tommy John surgery instead of haggling over his salary.
What This Deal Really Means For the Yankees
Let’s be honest, $4.5 million for a pitcher of Schmidt’s caliber, even with the injury, is a bargain in today’s market. Before his season was unceremoniously cut short by a torn UCL last July, he was putting together a stellar campaign. In 2025, he posted a respectable 3.32 ERA over 14 starts. The year before that, in 2024, he was even better with a sparkling 2.85 ERA across 16 starts. When he’s healthy, the man can pitch.
The problem, of course, is that massive “when.” His last full, healthy season was back in 2023, where he posted a more pedestrian 4.64 ERA over 32 starts. The Yankees are essentially betting on the pre-injury version of Schmidt showing up sometime in late 2026. Given the typical 12-to-18-month recovery for Tommy John surgery, banking on him for Opening Day would be… well, let’s just call it optimistic.
General Manager Brian Cashman and Manager Aaron Boone have already tried to temper expectations, noting that Schmidt isn’t even expected to begin a throwing program until December. Translation: Don’t hold your breath. We’ll see him when we see him.
Another Arm Down In a Banged-Up Rotation
This move highlights a glaring issue for the Yankees: their starting rotation is looking more like a MASH unit than a championship-caliber staff. Gerrit Cole is also on the mend from his own Tommy John surgery, and Carlos Rodón is recovering from a procedure of his own. That’s three of your top arms who might not be ready for the start of the 2026 season. Yikes, but when healthy, that is a great pitching rotation.
It Was a No Brainer Move
Securing Schmidt was a no-brainer. It prevents a distraction and locks in a potential late-season reinforcement. But it does absolutely nothing to solve the immediate problem of who, exactly, will be taking the mound for the first few months of the season. Cashman has his work cut out for him. The starting pitching market is where the real offseason battles will be fought, and the Yankees are going to have to be aggressive players.
So, while the front office celebrates this minor victory, fans are left to anxiously scan the trade rumor mill. This $4.5 million deal for Schmidt is just the appetizer. The main course of the offseason—finding healthy, effective arms to plug massive holes in the rotation—is still to come. For now, the Yankees have ensured a fan favorite will be back. Hopefully, the Yankees continue to bolster and get a World Series next season.
