Yency Almonte DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Chicago Cubs right-handed pitcher Yency Almonte (shoulder) could contend for a role in the bullpen during the 2025 season. Earlier in the offseason, the Cubs signed Almonte to a minor-league contract. Almonte at first elected free agency but returned to his former club. The Cubs initially acquired Almonte in the Michael Busch trade last winter. The Cubs viewed Almonte as an integral piece of their bullpen. The 30-year-old held a 3.45 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP across his first 15 2/3 innings with the Cubs before being shut down with a shoulder injury. Almonte is still recovering from this injury and will likely open the 2025 season in Triple-A as he increases his workload. However, fantasy managers should expect Almonte to be viewed as one of the top options in the system when the Cubs need additional bullpen depth. When he does return to the majors, he could have value in deeper holds leagues as he tallied six in just 17 appearances last summer.

The Chicago Cubs are signing right-handed pitcher Yency Almonte to a minor-league contract. Almonte spent the 2024 campaign with the Cubs and will reunite with his former club. Last season, Almonte logged 15 2/3 innings of work with a 3.45 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He tallied 20 strikeouts but held a high 11.9 percent walk rate. He generated an elite .199 xBA and a 32.4 percent hard-hit rate. His season was cut short in July when he underwent season-ending surgery. Fantasy managers should expect Almonte to slowly ramp up his workload as he works his way back from the operation. However, he is not expected to return until later in the 2025 season. As a result, Almonte will likely open the season in the minor leagues and could eventually work his way back to the major leagues.

Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Yency Almonte has cleared waivers and will test free agency, according to Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports. The right-hander was only able to log 15 2/3 innings of work before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. In the short stint, Almonte posted a 3.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 8:20 BB:K with one save. Under the hood, Almonte boasted stellar metrics with a 3.15 xERA and a .198 xBA. In addition, he generated a strong 29.9% strikeout rate and 30.9% whiff rate. Almonte is worth monitoring during the offseason, as he could earn a role as a high-leverage option in 2025 given his ability to generate a high number of strikeouts.