Yankees better hope Astros didn't punk them again with latest bullpen addition

The New York Yankees have an overload of familiar bullpen names on the verge of returning to MLB action, including Nick Burdi, Scott Effross, Ian Hamilton and Cody Poteet.

Clearly, the pressure of cramming all those names back onto the active roster in time for the stretch run prevented them from expanding their scope and testing the waters on a recently DFA'd familiar face. Either that, or they were terrified of the past two years of his advanced metrics; last season, his 3.83 FIP didn't match his 1.71 ERA, and this year, he's regressed across the board.

Regardless, Hector Neris is now an Astro again, after barely securing a raise this past offseason with the Cubs despite fancying a ballooned reliever deal. Once upon a time, the Yankees were thought to be in pursuit of Neris, though they shied away from him when his demands leaked.

Now, despite a tough first half, he's guaranteed to be his best self in Houston down the stretch. Will the Yankees regret standing pat? Or will they become the latest team to mix and match starters and newcomers effectively out of the bullpen, thriving in October after a lackluster regular season?

Yankees need Aaron Boone to step up managing bullpen after Hector Neris heads to Astros

Yes, the Yankees' ability to get creative out of the bullpen -- but not "Deivi Garcia/JA Happ" creative -- will likely fall on Aaron Boone this postseason.

It's not without precedent for a high-level manager to figure out how to navigate a crowded bullpen picture in October after a lackluster regular season. Josh Sborz wasn't very notable last season (5.50 ERA) before Bruce Bochy maximized him in October. The 2019 Nationals turned Patrick Corbin into a relief ace. Chris Sale faltered down the stretch for the 2018 Red Sox, then became an option in key situations. It happens all the time these days. Maybe the Yankees will be able to cover their current weaknesses with well-timed deployments of Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, with Effross and Hamilton rejoining the fray.

Or maybe they'll wish they'd nabbed a playoff-tested bullpen option when he was readily available in late August (or, at least, prevented the Astros from doing so). Add Neris next to Justin Verlander on the list of notable, title-winning Astros who managed to quickly find their way back to Houston despite blessedly leaving in free agency.