About Spring Training: Good Grief, We Need Relief

About Spring Training: Good Grief, We Need Relief

By Tim Kabel

March 7, 2026

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The Yankees will open the regular season in less than three weeks. Opening day is March 25th in San Francisco against the Giants. I have gone on the record many times stating that I don't think this Yankees team, as presently constructed, is capable of winning a championship. It is essentially a regurgitation of last year's roster with the promise of improvement in the starting rotation when Gerrit Cole returns. I could say when Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon return, but Carlos Rodon was here last season. He will not be here for the whole season this year.

Despite making some big trades at the deadline last season, the bullpen was not a strength for the Yankees in 2025. This season, two of the main pitchers in last year's bullpen, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are still pitching in New York. Unfortunately, they are pitching for the Mets, not the Yankees. The Yankees did not really address the bullpen during the offseason. They brought in Angel Chivilli, Cade Winquest, and possibly Ryan Weathers. Weathers seems more likely to be in the starting rotation. That would theoretically push either Ryan Yarbrough or Paul Blackburn into the bullpen.

Cade Winquest was a Rule 5 acquisition from the Cardinals. He will need to be on the 26-man roster at the beginning of the season and remain there all year in order to stay with the Yankees. So far, Winquest has a 5.79 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP in spring training. To put that in layman's terms, it stinks. The likelihood of Winquest being an important or effective member of the Yankees bullpen this season seems to be rather remote.

Angel Chivilli, whom the Yankees acquired from the Rockies in a trade late in the off-season, was touted by Brian Cashman as having a big arm. I'm guessing that he must have an arm like Popeye, (the spinach eating sailor, not the fried chicken franchise). It certainly can't have anything to do with his pitching ability. So far, Chivilli has an ERA of 18.90 and a WHIP of 2.40. That means he allows almost 2 1/2 hits or walks every inning he pitches. I think most of us could do that. Chivilli seems destined for Scranton or perhaps an even lower level of the minor leagues. I do not believe he will be breaking camp with the Yankees. In fact, I would be surprised if he appears in a Major League game this season. If he does, that will not be a good sign.

So then, who will be the eight pitchers in the Yankees bullpen, at least at the beginning of the season?

Let's start with the givens. David Bednar will be the closer. After him, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, and Camilo Doval are locks. That fills four of the eight slots.

The next four slots need to be filled from the following group of pitchers: Paul Blackburn, Jake Bird, Yerry De Los Santos, Brent Headrick, and Ryan Yarbrough. I will get to the wild card possibilities shortly.

Blackburn and Yarbrough can provide length and function as spot starters if need be. Because Cam Schlittler will have innings limitations at the beginning of the season, it would make sense to have at least one of those two in the bullpen. Yarbrough is left-handed while Blackburn is right-handed. In addition to Schlittler, some of the other starters may not be ready to go deep into games at the beginning of the season. Therefore, having relievers who could provide length particularly at the beginning of the season, would make sense. Therefore, I would keep both Blackburn and Yarbrough. That leaves two slots.

Brett Headrick was effective when he pitched for the Yankees last year. If the Yankees keep him, they will have three left-handed pitchers in the bullpen. There is nothing wrong with that and he is a distinct possibility to make the Opening Day roster.

I view Jake Bird and Yerry De Los Santos as nondescript pitchers who would more or less fill a spot in the bullpen. Neither of them will get you very excited. They can be placeholders, or they can play a slightly more significant role, depending on how they do from day to day. Sending one or both of them to the minors would not be shocking or a move that would upset the balance of the team.

This is what I would do. Of the three pitchers that I just mentioned, Headrick, Bird, and De los Santos, I would select the one who looked the best at the end of Spring Training. The other two could go to Scranton. I have the most faith in Headrick. Ideally, he will do well in the last three weeks of Spring Training and seize the spot.

Wait a minute, I have only selected seven pitchers. What's going on? Well, I want to bring some excitement and hope to the roster, particularly the bullpen. I would bring Carlos Lagrange north on Opening Day and have him start the season in the bullpen. He seems well suited to a relief role and since he can throw over 100 miles an hour, he might be perfect for a late inning role. Bringing him up at the beginning of the season will allow him to get his feet wet and gain confidence as the season progresses. Meanwhile, Ben Hess can work out of the bullpen in Scranton and prepare himself to join the team at some point. I would much rather see the Yankees recall Hess then Chivilli or Bird or some other nondescript relief pitcher.

The Yankees did very little to address the bullpen in the off-season. They will need to rely on internal moves. They will need to rely on their youngsters. The start to that should be putting Lagrange in the bullpen from day one and letting him develop. By placing Hess in a similar role in the minor leagues, he could be ready to come up when needed. The other piece to this is that injuries are inevitable, and the Yankees may need to fill slots in either the rotation or the bullpen at some point this season.

The bullpen will be a work in progress, at least at the beginning of the year. The smart move for the Yankees would be to start building the bullpen of the present and the future. The first piece of that puzzle would be to bring Carlos Lagrange north as part of the bullpen at the beginning of the season with Ben Hess in the wings. Will the Yankees do this? That remains to be seen.