Yankees' reported interest in departing free agent proves they've learned nothing

There's a lot of work for the New York Yankees to do this offseason, and one major task will be rebuilding the bullpen. All of Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, Tim Mayza and Tim Hill are free agents, and it's likely three of those four will be gone (with Hill returning).

Not only do they need bodies, but they must upgrade to support Luke Weaver in the closer role, as well as the rock steady starting rotation that has overachieved the last couple years. What they do not need is more of the same.

But it appears the Yankees have not learned whatsoever. Per the latest reports, New York is interested in re-signing Jonathan Loaisiga, who missed the entire 2024 season due to UCL surgery. He has pitched in a total of 20 games the past two years due to elbow troubles.

Instead of viewing that as a major red flag, the Yankees cannot quit oft-injured relievers, with Loaisiga being chief among them. Outside of a dynamite 2021 season (which was one of the worst "contending" Yankees campaigns we've ever seen), Loaisiga has been a letdown in high-leverage moments or limited because of health issues.

Bringing him back for 2025 would essentially be a risk a la Lou Trivino this past year. The Yankees saw the right-hander undergo Tommy John surgery in 2023 and figured taking a cheap one-year flyer on him could help them cut costs. Instead, Trivino never pitched because of setbacks and the Yankees failed to spend their money in a shrewd manner.

Yankees Rumors: NYY could reunite with oft-injured Jonathan Loaisiga

Back in 2016, the Yankees scooped up Loaisiga, who was previously a member of the San Francisco Giants organization. After making 13 starts in the Dominican Summer League in 2013, the right-hander didn't pitch again until 2016, which is the reason SF decided to move on.

Though Loaisiga has shown flashes of greatness with the Yankees, there just isn't enough evidence to suggest they can risk throwing more money in the to trash. Even worse? Their irresponsible ways could find them projecting Loaisiga for an expansive 2025 role, only to be let down when he's either injured again or is working through kinks as a result of back-to-back surgeries.

Mind you, this wouldn't be the worst move in the world. It would just represent another example of the Yankees being unable to quit their own underwhelming, unreliable players, which has vastly characterized this team's current wasted championship window.

Loaisiga's lone, fully healthy and productive season came in 2021, when he pitched in 70 2/3 innings across 57 games. He was good for a 3.3 WAR that year. But he faltered in the postseason when it mattered most during the one-game Wild Card against the Boston Red Sox. The rest of his career with the Yanks? A total of 106 games, good for a 0.7 WAR.

It's time to make real, meaningful upgrades. And if the Yankees want to make a few cost-effective moves, they need to be smarter than this.