Yankees' trade deadline disaster quietly begins his spring training comeback

It's working so far.
Aug 4, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Jake Bird (59) walks off the field after he gives up the game winning home run to Texas Rangers designated hitter Josh Jung (not pictured) during the tenth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Aug 4, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Jake Bird (59) walks off the field after he gives up the game winning home run to Texas Rangers designated hitter Josh Jung (not pictured) during the tenth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees' roster is, outside of a potential conclusion to their ongoing outfield platoon semi-quest, largely set. The only remaining spots up for grabs are in the bullpen, and it'd be completely fair for fans to feel like no matter who wins them, we've already lost.

Devin Williams and Luke Weaver were the Yankees' minted set-up man and closer last year. It didn't go well. But just because their seasons were dual failures does not mean that allowing them to depart and leaving your high-leverage spots entirely blank is a better idea than rostering them. Robert Suarez's price was surprisingly low this winter — he chose the Braves at $15 million per year. That would've gone a long way towards setting Yankee fans' expectations at the ideal level. Instead, they'll bank on David Bednar in the ninth, with Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz preceding him. The territory is ripe for someone to rise from the muck and make the eighth inning a bit more comfortable, especially on days when Doval/Cruz are unavailable.

It's too soon to speak definitively, but ... enter the other reliever acquired at last year's trade deadline?

You remember Jake Bird, right? Even if you don't want to. He surrendered a monster home run that fueled the famed post-deadline Miami Meltdown, then threw a scoreless outing later in the sweep before the Texas Rangers walked him off in extras all the way back to Triple-A. That was the moment his MLB season ended. He never returned, and he continued to struggle to harness his stuff while buried in the minors.

This spring, with the heat off and with an eye on one of the final two bullpen spots (nothing prominent, just a contributor role), Bird has subtly begun his climb. He might not be commanding your attention, but he's commanding the baseball.

Yankees' Jake Bird showing off new cutter and sinker changes in successful first two outings of spring training

Bird's arsenal has been revamped, which should come as no surprise. After all, that's what made his acquisition last summer so risky. The Yankees had grand plans to take advantage of his nasty sweeper and better complement it. Could they really pull that off on the fly in the heat of a pennant race?

Answer: No. They could not. It proved to be impossible, and it happened impossibly quickly.

But now, with expectations dimmed and Bird relegated to the Angel Chivilli tier of reclamation projects, he's struck out three and allowed two hits — and no walks — in his first two spring appearances.

Candidates for the final roles include familiar internal option Brent Headrick, Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest (who has an inherent advantage — he must be carried or lost), Houston Astros World Series champion Rafael Montero, and 100 MPH-throwing Dylan Coleman, formerly of the Royals. It's an uphill climb, but the Yankees have a lot riding on being right here, and while Winquest has the clearest leg up, Bird likely isn't far behind.

Of course, even Bird's two solid outings haven't been enough for him to escape Pun Purgatory. But if the price of Bird's success is that he has to deal with the occasional camera cut directly between an actual bird and his pre-inning warmups on a rival broadcast, then that's a tradeoff he must take.

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