The New York Yankees' bullpen is relatively stacked at the moment, but they're missing some variance in arm angles and looks. Last season's 'pen performed nicely, but distinctly lacked swing-and-miss ability. This winter, they rededicated themselves in that department, importing Fernando Cruz from the Reds and Devin Williams from Milwaukee.
That leaves only one item still on their checklist: a lefty (or two) they can rely on. It doesn't really matter whether it's a whiff-prioritizing lefty or a pitch-to-contact guy; the Yankees need a same-side weapon for lefty sluggers, and they're running out of time.
Not only does New York not have a lefty on the active roster, but they don't have a single left-handed reliever remaining on the 40-man, either. Even Josh Maciejewski defected to the Milwaukee Brewers a few days back, joining Nestor Cortes Jr. in his new home. Unless they can teach Carlos Carrasco to switch hands, they still have work to do in that department.
With Tuesday morning's arrival came another ripple through that particular market, as the Minnesota Twins agreed to terms with Danny Coulombe, pending the completion of his physical. Coulombe and his snappy curve carved through the AL East last season in Baltimore to the tune of an 0.674 WHIP in 29 2/3 innings.
Danny Coulombe to the Twins, pending physical. Very solid back end bullpen now for Minnesota with Duran, Jax, Sands, etc.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 4, 2025
Current free agent options for Yankees to fill lefty reliever roster void after Danny Coulombe comes off board
"Coulombe plus one" would've represented a solid offseason for the Yankees; New York could've bet on Coulombe bouncing back from injury, while also pairing him with the sturdiness of an additional option/familiar face.
Priority No. 1, now, should be bringing Tim Hill back; the Yankees have played the waiting game with their ground ball specialist from last season for too long, at this point. It once seemed like they might be choosing between Hill and Andrew Chafin, more of a strikeout specialist. Now, with so little time on the board, it's difficult to tell what they're up to. Hill now has momentum on his side; the Yankees are running out of hours in the day to shop around.
Other potential options still available include Jalen Beeks, Brooks Raley, Colin Poche, Ryan Yarbrough, Drew Smyly, Matt Moore, and Tyler Matzek. By the end of that list, though, we're already veering firmly into DFA/minor-league deal territory. Matzek was a wonderful 2021 Brave, but posted a 9.90 ERA in 11 games last season.
The Yankees don't have to bring in an additional infielder if they'd rather experiment with their internal options, but they don't have any internal lefty options. One MLB contract, plus a minor-league deal, feels necessary in the days to come.