Yankees all but admit defeat with Jake Bird trade after Monday night roster move

Did the Yankees and Brian Cashman "lose" the Jake Bird trade with the Colorado Rockies? Not necessarily. But they definite'y didn't win it! And that was further emphasized with New York's roster move after the team's epic comeback in the 11-10 win over the LA Angels.

Bird was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the second time since last year's trade deadline. He blew up again on Monday night, surrendering the game-tying three-run homer to Mike Trout in the sixth inning and then relinquished the Yankees' lead again by giving up another game-tying run in the seventh.

Is it all Bird's fault? No. He's been overvalued and overused as manager Aaron Boone looks to send this bullpen straight to hell. It might not sound like a lot, but Bird's appeared in eight of the Yankees' 16 games and about half of his action as come in high-leverage situations.

This is the same guy who imploded after arriving in the Bronx at last year's trade deadline, allowing six earned runs on four hits and two walks in just two innings of work. Even if he showed improvements during spring training, why did they think it'd be good to immediately throw him to the wolves?

Bird has a 7.71 ERA in his seven innings this season. He's surrendered a ton of hard contact as his pitches have oscillated from looking nasty to completely flat.

Who will Yankees promote after optioning Jake Bird to Triple-A?

Bird being sent to Scranton not even three weeks into the season is an admission of guilt. Cashman and the front office know their attempt to acquire "team control" once again backfired, since that was seemingly the only value attached to Bird. The right-hander was never good in Colorado, and he probably won't be good in New York. He'll be a shuttle arm until it's no longer possible.

It's unclear what the corresponding move will be, but the best guesses are Yerry De Los Santos or Angel Chivilli. De Los Santos logged 35 2/3 innings with the big league club in 2025 and was solid. He was able to provide length and handle high-leverage on occasion.

Chivilli is another former Rockie who might give Yankees fans Bird PTSD without a moment of reprieve. if he gets the call Acquired in the offseason, Chivilli got shelled in spring training, surrendering 11 runs on 11 hits and two walks over eight innings. He lost his roster spot before he even had one.

So where does that leave the bullpen? Somehow in a worse spot than they were before! After rostering Cade Winquest for 12 games, not putting him into a game, and then returning him to the Cardinals after his DFA, the Yankees put a strain on their collection of arms and Bird became a casualty. He was not put in a position to succeed.

And guess what? Neither will the next guy who comes up. Enjoy the nausea-inducing ride for the rest of 2026.

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