The Yankees’ bullpen was a question mark even before the season began, relying heavily on its top arms to perform. So far, that unit has been a major disappointment, leaving the team without a reliable late-inning option besides closer David Bednar.
New York currently has three relievers—Ryan Yarbrough, Paul Blackburn, and Angel Chivilli—with career ERAs above 4.00. If they want to be true contenders in October, they must address their bullpen through trades, signings, or promotions.
Free Agent Market
There are multiple quality arms still searching for a home for the 2026 season. The Yankees should have interest in several of these names, including former Dodgers closer Michael Kopech. He brings elite velocity out of the bullpen—something the Yankees have lacked in recent years. He also brings postseason experience, having won a World Series as the Dodgers closer just two years ago.
Another option on the market is Luke Jackson. After spending most of last season with the Texas Rangers, Jackson was designated for assignment and briefly picked up by the Detroit Tigers. He was DFA’d again after allowing four earned runs in just 4.2 innings.
He later signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners, where he impressed by allowing just three earned runs in 11.1 innings (2.38 ERA). Jackson has shown he can contribute to a contending bullpen, and with pitching coach Matt Blake’s track record of developing struggling arms, he could be a low-risk move to help stabilize the unit.
Trade Deadline Moves
At last year’s trade deadline, the Yankees were aggressive in trying to improve their bullpen, acquiring David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Jake Bird. However, outside of Bednar, those moves have not paid off. Doval has been underwhelming, while Bird has already been sent down twice, leaving his future with the team uncertain.
Even though those moves didn’t work out, New York cannot afford to shy away from being aggressive once again this year. Some names to watch would be Pete Fairbanks of the Miami Marlins and Bryan Abreu from the Houston Astros.
Both of these relievers are scheduled to hit free agency at the end of the season. With the Astros already committed to closer Josh Hader, they may be hesitant to pay Abreu in the offseason and could look to move him for prospects. The Yankees should be among the top suitors, as he could elevate their bullpen and provide consistency in high-leverage innings.
Fairbanks is a familiar name to Yankees fans after several seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has been linked to the Yankees before, and now that he is out of the division, a deal feels more realistic.
In-House Options
The Yankees don’t need to search far if they want answers to their bullpen struggles. Yovanny Cruz is someone who impressed during spring training even with his limited innings. Cruz threw four innings, allowing two hits while striking out six, holding opposing hitters to a .143 average.
Cruz still needs to build up his innings before he can join the big league club, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone has previously talked about him possibly joining the bullpen at some point this season.
With the velocity Cruz brings, he could provide a spark while allowing the Yankees to preserve valuable assets.
Along with Cruz, two of the Yankees starting pitchers will have to move to the bullpen once Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon return from injury. Luis Gil appears likely to be one of the pitchers moved to the bullpen, while the battle between Will Warren and Ryan Weathers for the final rotation spot remains ongoing. Both have performed well up to this point, but Weathers has never pitched more than 100 innings in a season, which may give Warren the upper hand.
Weathers would be a great piece out of the bullpen down the stretch for the Yankees. His ability to go multiple innings would also help reinforce the back-end impact of their bullpen.
The Yankees will not be able to contend in the playoffs with their current relief corps. Without meaningful improvements, this risks becoming another missed opportunity in the Bronx.
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