Yankees reliever might've sealed his fate after late Aaron Boone gaffe vs. Red Sox

Ian Hamilton was a phenomenal story in 2023. He was a rabbit out of a hat. He was a Slambio-toting reclamation project with a filthy wrinkle who came from obscurity and rose to a setup role. He is not the Yankees' answer in 2025, though, something he's made painfully clear nearly every time he's been called upon to either keep a deficit directly where it is or protect a four-run advantage and run out the clock.

Unless the Yankees are under duress and recklessly short on arms, that's typically where Hamilton has found himself this season: moderate leverage. It's tough to call "Saturday night, ninth inning, deficit's been cut to one after a wonky Garrett Crochet start, SNB tomorrow, give us whatever you've got" a huge appearance. The Yankees would've had a tall task ahead of them Saturday in Aroldis Chapman regardless of what Hamilton did after DJ LeMahieu added another rung to the momentum ladder (Chapman eventually retired the side on 102 MPH, glad he's doing well).

Still, the Yankees are in a place where they can't afford to roster players who aren't maximizing their roles, especially with more talent below the surface. Pablo Reyes ... is Pablo Reyes. He shouldn't be starting. He shouldn't be playing. But who's threatening him? The Yankees don't seem to believe in Jesus Rodriguez. They signed the Pablo Reyes Death Warrant when they forgot to shop for infielders this offseason.

Yankees' alternatives to Ian Hamilton at Triple-A

But Hamilton? The Yankees have Clayton Beeter healthy and operating at a high level at Triple-A, with 20 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. Based on his history, how long will that last? They should take advantage while they can.

They also have Allan Winans operating with an 0.23 ERA through nine outings (39 innings) with 45 Ks. Is that lightning in a bottle, or something viable? Either way, shouldn't the Yankees try to harness it in MLB instead of Scranton?

Despite spending significant time with on the MLB roster in recent years, Hamilton actually does have a minor-league option remaining. The Yankees can send him to Triple-A without losing him to waivers, and they certainly should. His season began with a slow ramp-up to build his arm strength back after a spring illness. It's resulted in a 5.14 ERA and nearly 1.300 WHIP in 18 games, and loading the bases with no outs after the Yankees had just improbably sliced the game to 8-7 last night should be the final straw.

We know why Boone went to Hamilton. Sometimes, when you're down late with an overworked 'pen and a big game on the horizon, you need a fifth-best reliever you can trust to just keep things stable. Hamilton no longer fits that bill. It's time for the Yankees to experiment.