Yankees sign Adam Kloffenstein and Payton Henry to minors

The Yankees signed right-handed Adam Kloffenstein and catcher Payton Henry to minor league contracts in December, according to club officials transactions page. 7 News Ari Alexander from Boston writes that Kloffenstein’s deal includes an invitation to the big league spring camp in New York.

Kloffenstein’s MLB resume consists of one perfect inning of relief work for the Cardinals in their 6-5 win over the Giants on June 20, 2024. He was sent back to Triple-A the next day, and some shoulder issues likely prevented another call-up to the active roster. St. Louis non-tendered Kloffenstein after the season, and he signed a minors deal with the Blue Jays — the team that began the righty’s pro career as a third-round pick in the 2018 draft.

This return to the Jays organization did not go well, as Kloffenstein was tagged for 20 home runs in 82 innings with Triple-A Buffalo, while posting a 6.26 ERA and an 11.7% walk rate. He was also on the injured list for the first two months of the season, Kloffenstein was elected to minor league free agency at the end of the season and he is now headed to the Yankees to try to get his career on track.

Kloffenstein has a 5.01 ERA, 21.57% strikeout rate and 11.55% walk rate over 210 1/3 Triple-A innings, starting 41 of his 45 Triple-A games. He also had a 4.63 ERA over 175 Double-A frames, further hindering his status as a starting pitcher on the minor league ladders of the Jays and Cardinals. Still only 25 years old, there’s plenty of time for Kloffenstein to figure things out, and the Yankees’ pitching development department has had quite a bit of success helping unknown or struggling pitchers unlock something on the mound.

Henry also has a limited amount of big league experience, as he hasn’t been to the Show since playing in 20 games with the Marlins in 2021-22. Henry was traded to Milwaukee during the 2022-2023 offseason and has spent the last three years in the minors with the Brewers, Blue Jays and Phillies without appearing in an MLB game again. In 2024, Henry was limited to 27 games with Triple-A Buffalo after being hit in the head by an opponent’s backswing, and spent a three-month stint on the IL.

Henry has a .261/.329/.414 slash line over 862 Triple-A bats, plus a .523 OPS over 51 PA in the majors. Henry is considered a solid defensive catcher and will join Ali Sanchez as minor league signings who provided some competition in camp and possibly served as Triple-A depth during the season. New York is quite behind the plate Austin Wells, JC EscarraAnd Ben Rice all on the MLB roster, and while Rice will be used primarily as a first baseman, Henry and Sanchez face a narrow path to significant playing time in the Bronx.