NEW YORK, NY – In the Major League phase of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft, the New York Yankees selected right-handed pitcher Cade Winquest in the first round from the St. Louis Cardinals. In the Triple-A phase, the Yankees added right-handed pitcher Hansel Rincon (first round, from Milwaukee) and catcher Abrahan Gutierrez (second round, from Oakland).
Winquest, 25, combined to go 5-7 with a 3.99 ERA (47 ER/106.0 IP) across 25 games (23 starts) between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in 2025. He allowed three earned runs or fewer in 21 of his starts, including 12 outings of two earned runs or fewer. After beginning the season with Peoria (2-6, 4.52 ERA in 17 games/15 starts), he was promoted to Springfield on July 14, where he went 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA in eight starts. Over three seasons in the Cardinals’ system (2023–25), the Fort Worth, Texas native has posted an 8-16 record with one save and a 4.19 ERA (99 ER/212.2 IP) in 58 games (38 starts). Winquest was originally selected by St. Louis in the eighth round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Texas at Arlington.
Rincon, 23, most recently signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee on November 6, 2025, after not pitching in either of the last two seasons. Over three seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization (2021–23), the San Pedro de Macorís, D.R. native went 5-10 with a 4.68 ERA (65 ER/125.0 IP) in 43 games (17 starts). He was originally signed by Arizona as a non-drafted free agent on September 25, 2019.
Gutierrez, 26, split the 2025 season between Triple-A Indianapolis and Single-A Bradenton in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, batting .235 (24-for-102) with 11 runs, one double, one home run, six RBI, and nine walks in 32 games. Released by Pittsburgh on August 5, he signed with Oakland as a minor league free agent on December 4. Over eight minor league seasons in the Atlanta Braves (2017), Philadelphia Phillies (2018–19, ’21), and Pirates (2021–25) systems, the Caracas, Venezuela native has hit .261 (439-for-1,683) with 208 runs, 89 doubles, four triples, 29 home runs, 215 RBI, and 196 walks in 471 games. Originally signed by Atlanta as a non-drafted free agent in 2016 (contract later voided), he joined Philadelphia in December 2017 and was traded to Pittsburgh in July 2021 for LHP Braeden Ogle.
Additionally, in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft, three Yankees players were selected by other clubs: RHP Adam Stone (Chicago-NL, first round), RHP Sean Hermann (Seattle, second round), and LHP Matt Turner (New York-NL, third round).
