Yankees' biggest offseason bullpen mistake becoming more obvious by the day

Unless you count re-signing Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn, the New York Yankees completely disavowed signing free agent relievers over the offseason. The mantra was that a full year from 2025 trade deadline acquisitions David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Jake Bird would fix what ailed the relief corps that they were also a part of.

So far, it's hard to make that case. Doval owns a 6.97 ERA through his first 12 outings. Jake Bird has already been demoted once (this year, twice since donning pinstripes), and is back up on borrowed time with a 7.00 ERA and the impending returns of Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole from the IL. David Bednar's appearances have become cardiac events, even if he's wiggled out of more jams than not.

Overall, the Yankees' bullpen has been okay. The unit ranks 11th in the majors in ERA with a 3.79 mark through April 29. With that said, there are warning signs. The club's two most effective relievers are lefties Tim Hill and Brent Headrick. Hill has been a stud ever since the Yankees swiped him from the White Sox in June of 2024. Still, there's only so much the soft-tossing side-winder can do.

Headrick's even more of a risk. He's posted a 1.76 ERA, but he's still tied for the league lead in appearances with 17, and if he keeps going at this rate, he will burn out if his arm doesn't fall off first.

The bigger threat that faces New York is the late-inning shakiness. Doval is unreliable in high-leverage situations. Bednar feels like he's a hair away from a devastating meltdown. If only there were a reliable veteran reliever who was available at a reasonable price? Oh, wait.

Robert Suarez led the National League in saves last year. He's a veteran with experience pitching in high-leverage situations and excelling. Now, he's dominating with the Atlanta Braves.

The Yankees missed the boat on a pitcher who would have solidified the bullpen in Robert Suarez

Suarez began the year as Raisel Iglesias's setup man and now has ascended to the closer role for the Braves with Iglesias on the shelf. He's logged 13 games so far with a sparkling 0.71 ERA. That unreal performance won't continue, but with ERAs of 2.77 and 2.97 in 2024 and 2025, respectively, it's clear he can thrive in these situations.

New York never showed any interest in Suarez. Part of that likely had to do with price. Edwin Diaz's massive contract projections threatened to inflate the cost to sign Suarez, who was the clear-cut second-best closer option in free agency.

The Yankees only really showed interest in Brad Keller, who ultimately chose the Philadelphia Phillies on a two-year, $22 million contract. He's been just okay with a 3.86 ERA thus far in 2026.

Some MLB insiders had Suarez pegged for a four-year, $80 million deal. That seemed rich for the 35-year-old, but in the end, it didn't come to pass.

Suarez settled for a three-year, $45 million pact. That's less than the price of one irreparably broken Devin Williams, who settled in Queens for $51 million over three years.

The Yankees have opened themselves up to once again having to solve this need at the trade deadline, despite how often that hasn't worked before. Maybe Carlos Lagrange solves that need internally, but that path isn't free of complications.

Suarez was a productive veteran with a track record, available for just money, and as we found out, not nearly as much as many thought. Signing productive veterans on well-priced contracts is something the Yankees need more of, especially in the pen. This is a miss that really hurts.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow