Yankees' first signing of the offseason is a bullpen reunion we swore they were done with

The New York Yankees' bullpen will be a massive priority this offseason. But ... we thought ... that meant upgrading the bullpen. New York's first winter move represents a maintenance of the status quo, as the Yankees have won the reported bidding was for aging left-hander Tim Hill.

Hill, once a dynamic soft-contact king in the Yankees' 'pen, worked his way out of the circle of trust before the end of the 2026 season, losing his pixie dust along the way. Hill's tenure in the Bronx - and second contract after being a waiver-wire find in the summer of 2024 - was undeniably a success. With so much up in the air - David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough - and so many remaining holes beyond those familiar names, Hill seemed like an easy farewell for the Yankees' coaching staff to say, though.

Plus, if there was a real bidding war for someone with a 12th-percentile hard-hit rate and multiple teams were competing for the services of a throwback 38-year-old sidearmer, the Yankees acquiescing to the likes of the Guardians, Mets, Dodgers and Giants seemed obvious.

And yet ... here he is! Hill's back on a $2.25 million deal with a $2.5 million club option for his age-39 season, too. Those club options are almost always denied, but...yeah.

The Yankees have emerged atop the Tim Hill market. But what about Jonathan Loaisiga?!

At least the Yankees' Hill move is inexpensive, though it's surprising to see them guarantee him a roster spot. The Yankees flirting with winning a far more expensive bidding war for Jonathan Loaisiga, after letting him go last winter amid injury concerns/at his lowest value, is tougher to reconcile. If they liked him so much, why wouldn't they have taken a flyer on him last winter? He managed to stay healthy in 2026 and earned significant multi-year interest from the likes of the Dodgers. If the Yankees are going to outbid the field for Loaisiga and his significant injury risk, it'll cost them far more.

Will Hill survive until the end of the season? He was surpassed by Yarbrough in the lefty pecking order by the end of last season, who looked like a one-inning weapon as well as a multi-inning absorber. Hill's ERA ballooned to 4.60, in line with his hilarious trademark 25 Ks in 58 2/3 innings. Hill, at his best, was the best. He was such a fun time. This summer, we'd probably rather have a higher-leverage option in his place. The Yankees, with tons of uncertainty in the unit, seem to disagree, prizing his steadiness.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow