Projecting Yankees' 2024 Opening Day bullpen amid roster turnover

3 of 3

The New York Yankees entered the 2024 offseason secure in the knowledge that, when asked to, they can print bullpen arms. They did it once more last season with Jhony Brito, Ian Hamilton and Randy Vásquez.

The departures of Brito and Vásquez in the Juan Soto trade shouldn't dissuade fans from believing in New York's bullpen next season. Rather, they should serve as a reminder that, come next November, two or three people you still haven't heard of will be viewed as essential to the operation. That's Matt Blake's entire vibe. Hell, he already knew he had to replace Michael King in the aggregate because of the righty's supposed rotation move. That still has to be handled, but was part of the plan all along.

The rotation might be in semi-shambles and the lineup might've needed a left-handed makeover (and ... received one!), but New York's bullpen corps should look relatively similar to last season after the team's DFA deadline came and went without the boat being rocked. A few familiar names from the recent past are set to return, and there might be a free agent addition or two, but by and large, the unit should be rock solid once again.

It's just the rest of the game that's changing.

Yankees bullpen arms from 2023 who will not be returning

Say goodbye to Albert Abreu, who signed with Japan's Seibu Lions in December. He'll be joined by Franchy Cordero, who is poised to rack up a whole lot of local sponsorships by drilling moonshots next season. Abreu might not be so lucky, unless he can grow a fun mustache or cultivate a crazy new persona like a seventh-grader moving to a new town. "Um ... at my old school, they called me ... Mr. Delicious?"

Wandy Peralta, beloved 'til the end but constantly outrunning his creeping, rising FIP, is still looking for a new home, but he more than likely will not be returning (on anything longer than a one-year pact). Keynan Middleton, the team's best and only trade deadline addition, would be a welcome returnee, but conversations there have yet to be reported.

Brito and Vásquez have moved onto San Diego, while Greg Weissert was dealt to Boston in the Alex Verdugo trade. Lesser names like Zach McAllister and Ryan Weber have also moved on, while lefty Anthony Misiewicz surprisingly re-signed on a minor-league pact.

Will any key Yankees bullpen arms be traded or DFA'd by Opening Day?

Prrrrrrrobably not. There was certainly a chance that Jonathan Loáisiga's plug was pulled prior to the non-tender deadline, especially after Aaron Boone's pointed comments about the right-hander's availability. After he survived that deadline, though, he's more than likely reaching Opening Day unscathed (unless a trade offer too tempting to pass up on rolls around).

Yankees Projected Bullpen Entering 2024 MLB Season

Assuming the Yankees carry a five-man rotation, nine-man lineup, and four-man bench, the Opening Day bullpen will likely run eight names deep. If Yoshinobu Yamamoto requires a sixth starter, bump that 'pen crew down to seven and run Clarke Schmidt out on his throw day (half-kidding).

Eight seems safe, though, and these names stand out among the rest for Opening Day duties:

Closer: Clay Holmes

Setup Men: Tommy Kahnle, Jonathan Loáisiga, Ian Hamilton (moving up the pecking order!)

Middle Innings: Scott Effross, Victor González, Luis Gil, Ron Marinaccio

Some of the shine came off Marinaccio's apple during his catastrophic fall last summer, but he has the pedigree to be a successful late-inning arm in this league if he can regain his control and enhance his world-class changeup's potency. To be unfair here, though, the Toms River native had a whale of a time getting his groove back in 14 Triple-A games last summer, posting an 8.80 ERA and 1.96 WHIP. There is certainly a chance he's still struggling to overcome a mental blockade when 2024 arrives, and he's likely on the lowest rung of the demotion ladder, as well as the first to go if New York does bring in another free agent name like Peralta, Middleton, or Jordan Hicks.

Rumors of the Yankees building a "super bullpen" if they strike out in the Yamamoto chase have likely been overblown; Josh Hader has eternally been out of their price range, and Hicks likely has a ton of competition for his services. Robert Stephenson, a coveted ex-Ray, makes sense if the commitment is within reason. It's highly possible that González, the Peralta-esque lefty and 2020 Dodgers World Series hero, is the unit's only major import this winter.

At this point, it seems fairer to project that Gil, a returning fireballer, and Effross, 2022's major deadline acquisition who should be recovered from Tommy John entering camp, will be the Yankees' major additions to the unit. Matt Krook, Nick Ramirez, and Yoéndrys Gomez will be waiting in the wings, as well as Will Warren in both starting and relief roles.

manual

Home / Yankees News