About the Off-Season: Seizing the Bullpen by the Horns

About the Off-Season: Seizing the Bullpen by the Horns

By Tim Kabel

October 29, 2025

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As the 2025 postseason rolls on without the Yankees, I will continue taking stock. It is time to evaluate what went wrong this season and what needs to happen going into next season. I started by addressing the manager. I then considered players on the current roster who will be free agents or who have options. Now, I am looking at the Yankees position by position. Today I will turn to the bullpen.

In 2025, the Yankees’ bullpen was inconsistent, as was most of the rest of the team. At times, the bullpen was practically unhittable and at other times it was about as hittable as a pinata at a grade schooler’s birthday party.

The Yankees did a lot of work on the bullpen both prior to the season and again at the trade deadline. During the off-season, the Yankees imported Fernando Cruz and Devin Williams who was ostensibly going to be the closer in 2025. That did not work out so well.

Luke Weaver returned in 2025 and was originally going to be the setup man. He then became the closer by default and then became inconsistent and ineffective for stretches.

At the trade deadline, the Yankees imported Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, and David Bednar, Bednar ultimately became the closer and pitched well down the stretch for the Yankees.

Not surprisingly, Jonathan Loaisiga was injured and ineffective and finished the season on the IL. The Yankees have a five-million-dollar option on his contract for 2026. It is extremely unlikely that the Yankees will exercise that option.

I do not believe that the Yankees need a complete overhaul for the bullpen for 2026. Both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver will be free agents. Williams has made repeated overtures about returning to the Yankees. Weaver made statements about possibly following the path of Clay Holmes and becoming a starting pitcher. Weaver will most likely not be a Yankee in 2026.

I think if Williams is open to returning to the Yankees, as he says he is, and is willing to accept a role strictly as a setup reliever, the Yankee should consider it, if the contract demands are not unreasonable. He has been through the worst that he could experience as a Yankee. Ultimately, he had long stretches of being very effective, particularly when he wasn't the closer. If he assumes that role next year, he could be an extremely effective bridge to Bednar for the foreseeable future.

Doval and Cruz will still be on the team and can also be very valuable middle relief pieces. The Yankees will surely pick up the option on Tim Hill's contract and bring him back for 2026.

It seems the Yankees are inclined to go with an eight-man bullpen. Let's look at what we have so far:

Fernando Cruz

Camilo Doval

Tim Hill

Devin Williams

David Bednar

The remaining three slots could be filled out of a combination of Yerry De Los Santos, Jake Bird, Mark Leiter, Jr., and Brent Headrick. They could all see time in the bullpen for the Yankees next season. I suggested yesterday that the Yankees should sign Ryan Yarbrough and use in the starting rotation until Carlos Rodon returns and then shift him to the bullpen. Similarly, the Yankees could bring back Paul Blackburn to eat up innings and fill the long relief role.

I do not think the Yankees should attempt to sign Edwin Diaz, if he becomes a free agent. The price will probably be prohibitive. Instead, I would like to see the Yankees take one of their top minor league prospects and convert him to the bullpen beginning in Spring Training. I would follow the advice of Farm Director Alan B., who seemed to think that Ben Hess would be the best one for this role. I'm not saying he would make the team out of Spring Training, but he could transition to that role in the minor leagues and be available for a call up when needed.

Another option would be to move a current starter to the bullpen when Gerrit Cole returns to full strength. Again, I agree with Alan B. that Luis Gil might be the best option there. Clarke Schmidt may shift to the bullpen when he returns from the IL also.

The bullpen for the 2026 Yankees does not need a reconstruction. It needs some tweaking and tinkering but nothing major. After all, they just did that last year again, if Devin Williams is serious about coming back to the Bronx and does not make outrageous contract demands, he could certainly be a solid piece in a setup role.