Aaron Boone's tightrope David Bednar decision revealed larger Yankees problem

The New York Yankees (hopefully) got out of their funk on Monday with a clutch win over the Toronto Blue Jays. But it wasn't easy. Of course it wasn't. It never is. And Aaron Boone almost sent fans into full breakdown mode.

After a multitude of clutch hits (homers by Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm to tie the game and take the lead), the Yankees held a two-run advantage heading into the ninth. And Boone went to the guy who was just responsible for the biggest meltdown of the season.

David Bednar got the save chance, and it made it as difficult as humanly possible. He had no control. He immediately gave up a run after a leadoff walk and a double. The tying run was on second base with nobody out. Yankees fans saw it all unraveling before their very eyes.

Bednar got the crowd back into it by striking out the next batter, but he walked the No. 9 hitter and then fell down 3-0 to George Springer, a famed Yankee killer whose sole purpose is to ruin the lives of New Yorkers.

But then the baseball gods stepped in. Bednar threw three perfect splitters and Springer swung over all of them. That was the second out of the inning and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came to the plate.

Aaron Boone is absuing his top bullpen arms as Yankees run out of answers

How did we get here? Oh, it's because Fernando Cruz threw 21 pitches the inning prior and couldn't come out for the ninth. It's because there is zero trust in Camilo Doval to do anything competent in high-leverage situations. It's because the wheels have fallen off Brent Headrick after he already eclipsed the amount of innings he pitched at the MLB level last year. It's because Jake Bird is bad. It's because the bullpen has two long men in Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough who are masquerading as ... we don't even know. Why are they here if they aren't pitching at least 2-3 innings per appearance? What is this bullpen construction? How much longer can this go on for?

Another Yankee killer, Vladdy seemed primed to poke a double down the line and give the Blue Jays the lead. But Bednar quickly used that momentum from the Springer at-bat to keep Vladdy off balance. He got the slugger to ground out to second back to end the game. Crisis averted ... but the mental damage was done.

We'll say it again: the current bullpen construction is unsustainable. And it's putting Boone in a terrible spot. He's already subpar at managing his group of relievers, even when things are going well. To leave him with hardly any competent late-inning options is an absolute indictment on the front office. The fact that he went to Paul Blackburn after Ryan Weathers was chased from the game says it all. That shouldn't be a real thing, ever.

Bednar's the only option. And Tim Hill is the other right behind him. That's not enough arms to trust when the game is on the line, whether it's the seventh inning or the ninth inning. Bednar is in grave danger of being burned out by June.

The Yankees have their trade deadline marching orders. Hell, they can even get ahead of it by swinging a deal or two in the next few weeks. They can start making waiver claims to see if anybody else can stick. At the very least, Yovanny Cruz is a start. Let's see what he can do.

But this group is not it, and we can't see it intact for the entirety of June. There are only so many more of these tightrope acts we can take barely two months into the season.

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