Which Bullpen Arms Should the Yankees Keep?

The Yankees have a multitude of relievers set to hit the open market.

Aug 17, 2020; Bronx, New York, USA; A general view of rain falling on the New York Yankees logo on the first base dugout roof during a rain delay in the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

There's inconsistency, and then there's the New York Yankees' bullpen.

Outside of a handful of dominant stretches, almost every appearance from a New York reliever was a heart-pounding adventure; ill-timed hits or walks, a relative lack of strikeout prowess, and even a dash of bad luck resulted in several painful defeats throughout the season. The Yankees tried to make some upgrades at the trade deadline, but the acquisitions of Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos didn't change much; Leiter struggled down the stretch before becoming a dependable arm in the postseason, while De Los Santos was so terrible that he was designated for assignment and later picked up by the historically-inept Chicago White Sox.

To further exacerbate this issue, the Yankees have four relievers set to become free agents, those being Tim Hill, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle, and Jonathan Loáisiga. Additionally, New York has club options for Lou Trivino and Luke Weaver, while Tim Mayza is arbitration-eligible and could be non-tendered.

Of these options, the only slam-dunk is picking up Weaver's club option (which they did on Friday), as he performed so well down the stretch that he ended up becoming the team's closer in the postseason. Weaver's option is also just $2.5 million, although the Yankees can certainly discuss a better contract with him if they believe his success is sustainable. The 31-year-old had a 6.40 ERA with three teams in 2023, but logged a 2.89 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 3.33 FIP, and a .173 opposing batting average during the regular season; he additionally pitched 15.1 innings in the playoffs with a 1.76 ERA, 0.59 WHIP, and a .132 BAA.

Besides Weaver, the Yankees should be interested in bring back Hill and Kahnle. Although the 34-year-old Hill is a pitch-to-contact pitcher with very low strikeout rates, he makes up for this with a highly deceptive pitching delivery and exceptional command; in 44.0 innings with the Bronx Bombers after being picked up from the White Sox, the lefty recorded a 2.05 ERA, 3.62 FIP, and 1.02 WHIP while issuing just nine free passes. He has since become the most reliable left-handed reliever in New York's bullpen, although he and Mayza were the only two lefties in the bullpen by the end of the year.

As for Kahnle, he has been a mainstay in the Yankees' bullpen for years and enjoyed another solid campaign in 2024. The 35-year-old appeared in 50 games and registered a 2.11 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, albeit with a 4.01 FIP. Opponents hit just .190 off Kahnle in the regular season and .188 in the playoffs, but he struggled with his command in October by issuing seven walks. If the Bronx Bombers still want Kahnle to stick around, they may want to add a third pitch to his arsenal to make him more unpredictable, subsequently making his signature changeup harder to hit.

Beyond those three relievers, though, it's hard to justify bringing back Holmes, Loáisiga, Trivino, and Mayza. Holmes was charged with an unfathomable 13 blown saves and was removed from the closer role; although he settled in as a reliable late-inning fireman, his inconsistent performances aren't worth a multi-year deal. Both Loáisiga and Trivino have been ravaged by injuries over the past two seasons (Trivino in particular hasn't pitched in the majors since 2022), and subsequently can't be relied on to contribute. Finally, Mayza is a low-leverage arm that can easily be replaced by a prospect.

Ultimately, the Yankees' bullpen is very much a work in progress; despite pitching coach Matt Blake's propensity for developing strong relievers (such as Holmes and Weaver), they can't solely depend on reclamation projects. While bringing back Juan Soto is obviously the team's most pressing need, bringing in some proven bullpen arms should be a priority this offseason.