The New York Yankees have quietly thinned the lower reaches of their minor-league system, releasing nine players according to the official MiLB transaction log.
Every one of them had been assigned to one of the organization’s two Dominican Summer League clubs, the DSL NYY Bombers or the DSL NYY Yankees. None had advanced beyond the complex-level league in the Dominican Republic.
The list is composed entirely of young international signings who never left the island: outfielders Richard Meran, Eddison Charles and Eliezer Adames; right-handers Varis Villarreal and Josue Silvestre; left-handers Kevin Centeno and Ronald Tejada; shortstop Emmanuel Orozco; and catcher John Rosillo.
For most of these players, the Yankees were the only professional organization they had known. Their releases mark the end of short, mostly uneventful affiliations that never produced a stateside assignment.
Richard Meran is the most documented of the group. The Santo Domingo native signed in January 2023 for $100,000 as a 16-year-old outfielder.
Over four seasons, he compiled a .243/.398/.384 line with six home runs in 97 games, flashing a career-high .300/.481/.538 slash with three homers in 2025 before slipping to .203 in a limited 2026 campaign.
He never advanced past the Bombers. Eddison Charles, an 18-year-old outfielder signed for $300,000 in the 2025 international class, drew early attention for his 6-foot-4 frame and power projection but hit only .174 across two DSL seasons.
Eliezer Adames, another 2025 signing, had been noted for athleticism and defensive versatility across the infield and outfield.
The pitchers fared no better. Panamanian right-hander Varis Villarreal, signed in 2024, posted a 5.60 ERA over 72.1 innings across three summers.
The remaining arms and position players left even thinner paper trails, consistent with the high attrition rate at the complex level, where dozens of international free agents are signed each winter and most are sorted out within one or two seasons.
These moves arrive as the Yankees continue routine postseason housekeeping.
The club finished 93-68, secured a Wild Card berth, swept the Red Sox and then were swept by the Rays in the Division Series.
General manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone are both returning.
Clearing out players who have not progressed beyond the Dominican Summer League is standard organizational maintenance; it frees roster spots and resources for the next wave of international signings and for prospects already stateside.
The nine releases do not affect the major-league roster or the upper levels of the farm system, but they illustrate the unsentimental arithmetic that governs every club’s lower minors once the World Series ends.
