Yanks non-tender Huff, avoid arbitration with Rogers
Kelley, Nova, Phelps, Pineda receive contracts; Heathcott, Campos depart
NEW YORK -- The Yankees opted to non-tender left-hander David Huff in advance of Tuesday's 11:59 p.m. ET deadline to issue new contracts to arbitration-eligible players, having avoided arbitration with right-hander Esmil Rogers earlier in the day.
New York also cut ties with outfield prospect Slade Heathcott and right-hander Jose Campos, both of whom were highly touted members of their Minor League system in recent years but have seen their careers stall due to injuries.
The Yankees entered this checkpoint of the offseason with six players eligible for salary arbitration: Huff, Shawn Kelley, Ivan Nova, David Phelps, Michael Pineda and Rogers. Non-tendering a player makes him a free agent.
The Yanks reached an agreement with the 29-year-old Rogers on Tuesday evening. Rogers will be guaranteed $750,000 and can earn as much as $1.48 million with incentives, according to figures obtained by CBS Sports.
Rogers joined the Yankees as a waiver claim from the Blue Jays last July 31, logging a 4.68 ERA in 18 appearances during a campaign in which he earned $1.85 million. At the time of his acquisition, manager Joe Girardi indicated that the Yanks have liked Rogers' live arm for some time.
Huff, a 30-year-old left-hander, posted a 1.85 ERA and 3-1 record in 30 appearances for the Yankees, making him useful in a long-relief role. However, the organization has already added a pair of left-handed hurlers this offseason, acquiring Justin Wilson from the Pirates and signing Minor Leaguer Jose De Paula away from the Giants' organization.
Video: Yankees acquire left-handed reliever Justin Wilson
Heathcott was the Yanks' No. 1 Draft pick in 2009 and had been added to the club's 40-man roster, but the 24-year-old was limited to just nine games this past season at Double-A Trenton before requiring knee surgery. He has posted a .268/.346/.404 slash line in 309 Minor League games.
Campos, who was acquired from the Mariners as part of the Pineda trade, has been slowed by elbow issues that led to Tommy John surgery in April. His Minor League numbers are sharp, posting a 3.37 ERA with 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings, but Campos has been unable to advance higher than Class A.