The club has picked up their option on lefty Tim Hill and sign again Ryan Yarbrough And Paul Blackbrand as depth pieces. Still, the bullpen looks thinner than last year Fernando Cruz, Camilo Dovaland closer David Bednar. What options do the Yankees currently have in the system? Let’s look at the possibilities.
Jake Bird
Along with Bednar and Doval, Bird was one of the three most important bullpen acquisitions the Yankees made at the 2025 trade deadline. Unfortunately, he was the least productive of the three. Bird made three appearances in early August, allowing six earned runs on four hits, two home runs and two unintentional walks in just two innings. On August 5, New York optioned him to Triple-A, where he remained for the rest of the season.
Bird has pitched 232 1/3 big league innings with a 4.76 ERA since his debut in 2022. He has a career strikeout rate of 21.1% and a walk rate of 9.8%, although he increased his strikeout rate to an above-average 26.6% in 55 1/3 innings in 2025. In addition to the strikeouts, he has a 70th percentile groundball rate that could play with a strong infield defense of Ryan McMahon, Jazz Chisholm Jr.And Anthony Volpe (if he regains his Gold Glove-caliber defense after shoulder surgery). Bird also has a plus sweeper and curveball, according to Statcast, although he needs to improve his sinker (-6 run value) if he plans to compete for medium- and high-leverage innings.
Brent Headrick
The Yankees claimed Headrick had been waived by the Twins in February 2025. He was shuffled between Triple-A and the majors, throwing 23 big league innings in 17 appearances before finishing the year on the injured list with a left forearm contusion. The results were useful. Headrick posted a 3.13 ERA with similar peripherals, striking out 32.6% of batters at a 7.6% walk rate. That said, despite being a left-handed pitcher, he showed some pretty drastic reverse platoon splits in 2025, allowing a .922 OPS with four home runs against left-handed hitters, compared to a .484 OPS against right-handers.
Headrick is primarily a fastball slider pitcher. His fastball has a slightly below-average velocity, and he allowed a 50.0% hard-hit rate against the pitch in 2025. His slider could be a useful pitch, as he struck out 44.4% of batters on the field in a limited sample this year. Currently, with Yarbrough planning to start the year in the rotation, Headrick is the only lefty in the bullpen aside from Hill. That said, he may be best used as a depth weapon given his heavy hitting and struggles against same-handed pitching.
Cade Winquest
The Yankees selected Winquest out of the Cardinals system in the Rule 5 Draft last month. The 25-year-old right back was an eighth-round pick in 2022 and split the 2025 season between High-A and Double-A. In 106 innings at both levels, Winquest posted a 3.99 ERA with a 23.9% strikeout rate and an 8.5% walk rate. He lowered his ERA from 4.52 in 63 2/3 High-A innings to 3.19 in 42 1/3 innings at Double-A. He also showed improved control by lowering his walk rate, although his groundball rate dropped sharply from 55.6% to 36.7%. As with any Rule 5 pick, it would be a surprise if Winquest remained in the Major League rankings all year. It would be best used in low leverage areas.
Yerry Delos Santos
De los Santos was shuffled between Triple-A and the Majors for most of the year, making 25 big league appearances with a 3.28 ERA in 35 2/3 innings. On the plus side, he faced groundballs at a well-above-average rate of 55.4% and allowed just 0.25 HR/9. He used his mid-90s sinker with great success 54.6% of the time, with a run value of six according to Statcast. The downside was that his strikeout and walk rates were worse than average. His breaking pitches both had a negative run value, making it easier for hitters to time the sinker. De los Santos still has one year of option left, so he will continue to function as a depth worker.
Elmer Rodriguez / Chase Hampton
Rodriguez and Hampton were added to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection in November. According to them, they are the number 3 and number 8 on the team MLB.com. Hampton missed the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery and threw just 18 2/3 innings in 2024. He appears to have the longest chance to contribute in the major leagues bullpen, although his fastball and slider combination may give him good looks later in the summer. Rodriguez has the higher upside of the two. He reached Triple-A in 2025 and threw a total of 150 innings across three levels, posting a 2.58 ERA with a 29.0% strikeout rate. Like Hampton, Rodriguez’s fastball and slider are both quality and plus pitches. He will be in the mix, but will need to work on his control if he wants to stay in the majors.
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As things stand now, the Yankees bullpen has a mix of youth and depth options. Of the six players listed here, Bird has the most big league experience, although he will need to right himself after a rough first with New York last summer. Rodriguez also has potential given his minor league track record and high strikeout rate. That said, the other four profile as depth arms or have injuries (Hampton) or durability issues (Winquest). That leaves Bednar and Cruz as high-leverage options, with Doval having a closer background but coming off his own uneven debut in New York. Overall, the bullpen looks top-heavy and needs at least one or two reinforcements.
In the years since the Aroldis Chapman And Zack Britton deals, the team has been reluctant to sign high-leverage relievers to long-term contracts. They could choose to level up the bullpen by adding affordable middle relievers with major league experience, as well as another proven lefty to complement Hill. Andreas Chafin fits the mold and is currently available in free agency. Although he missed time due to injuries, he continued to dominate left-handed hitters in 2025, allowing just a .454 OPS against them. If the Yankees want to focus on high-leverage weapons, they could instead look to the trade market, perhaps re-engaging the Cardinals JoJo Romero.
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