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<\/p>\nNobody will blame the New York Yankees for passing on Edwin Diaz. Their history of inking relievers to big deals has never worked out. In 2019, they walked into a season with Aroldis Chapman, Adam Ottavino, and Zack Britton.<\/p>\n
They had a mega bullpen on paper, but by the time the ALCS rolled around, Ottavino was unusable, and Chapman would give up a walk-off home run to Jose Altuve. The pen arms that they invested in eventually doomed their season, along with their inability to get a big hit when it mattered.<\/p>\n
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Oct 19, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) rounds the bases after hitting a game winning home run off of New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) against the New York Yankees in game six of the 2019 ALCSS playoff baseball series at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas B. Shea-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
After investing too much in the bullpen<\/a> over the years, the Yankees have gone to another extreme. They haven’t invested anything in it this season outside of Tim Hill. Hill is making pittances, considering this is an organization with one of the most recognizable brands on the planet, and they can fill a stadium on a random Tuesday in April.<\/p>\n It makes little sense to see how much financial restraint they have shown in the bullpen now. It’s true that, during their World Series run, Matt Blake’s magic was the reason a pen led by Luke Weaver, Jake Cousins, and the aforementioned Hill brought the team to its first October Classic since 2009. Unfortunately, in 2025, after investing next to nothing in the bullpen<\/a>, the results on the field were reminiscent of the adage that you get what you pay for.<\/p>\n Oct 3, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; New York Yankees pitcher Luke Weaver (30) throws the ball during workouts at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Bullpen Rank<\/p>\n In 2025, the Yankees’ 4.37 bullpen ERA ranked 8th-worst in baseball. The only teams worse than them all missed the playoffs. The argument could be that the Dodgers, who signed Diaz, weren’t much better. Their 4.27 ERA was the 10th-worst.<\/p>\n Consider the fact, though, that they had Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki coming out of the bullpen by the time October rolled around. The Yankees had Weaver, who had trouble recording an out against the Blue Jays in the ALDS. Poor Will Warren tried his best to do a Yamamoto and Sasaki impression, but the end result was one of the biggest grand slams in the history of the Blue Jays organization.<\/p>\n Oct 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) celebrates after hitting a grand slam in front of New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) in the fourth inning during game two of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Missed Deals<\/p>\n Even if the Yankees were cautious in doling out big dollars to relievers, it’s not like every pen arm on the market is making Diaz money. There were some great deals in free agency<\/a> that they completely ignored.<\/p>\n Shawn Armstrong signed for $5.5 million. Tyler Rogers signed a three-year, $37 million contract. Longtime Rays closer Pete Fairbanks signed for $11 million. Veteran lefty Caleb Thielbar signed for $4.5 million. Brad Keller signed a two-year, $22 million contract.<\/p>\n Sep 18, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Tyler Rogers (71) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Thoughts and Prayers<\/p>\n The closer situation in 2026 might be more stable with David Bednar, but the rest of the bullpen has a ton of question marks. Jake Bird might get into games and could see improvements after being shipped to the minors shortly after his trade. Then you have Camilo Doval<\/a>, who will either strike the park out or walk it.<\/p>\n The bridge to the ninth inning is full of hopes, prayers, and question marks. There is still a little less than a month left until pitchers and catchers report, and the Yankees could make a splash in the trade market, the way they did with Devin Williams the previous winter. Still, it would have been better to invest a few more dollars than to ship Jasson Dominguez off to save a buck.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/01kfv1yt1dcrz88ztjzj.jpg\" "\\"New")
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