TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees made headlines in December when they used the major league portion of the Rule 5 Draft for the first time since 2011. They selected right-hander Cade Winquest from the St. Louis Cardinals, a hard-throwing 25-year-old who had never pitched above Double-A.
The pick came with a built-in gamble. Under Rule 5 rules, Winquest must stay on the Yankees’ 26-man roster for the entire 2026 season. If he cannot stick, the club must place him on waivers and offer him back to the Cardinals for half of his $100,000 selection fee. There is no safety net. No Triple-A assignment. No hiding him.
Three weeks into spring training, that gamble is looking more complicated than the Yankees hoped.
The spring numbers tell an uncomfortable story
Winquest has appeared in four Grapefruit League games. His line reads 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP and a .316 batting average against across 4 2/3 innings. Those are not the kind of numbers that inspire confidence in a pitcher who has to be roster-ready by Opening Day.
In Tuesday’s 15-0 loss to the Twins at Steinbrenner Field, Winquest worked one inning. He was not hit especially hard, but the results were messy. He allowed two runs, one earned, on two infield hits. He walked a batter and threw a wild pitch. He struck out one.
The Yankees had been on a nine-game spring winning streak before that loss. Winquest’s outing was part of a broader Yankees bullpen meltdown that saw the Twins pile up 15 runs before rain ended the game in the seventh.
Boone still sees what the Yankees drafted
Despite the rocky numbers, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has not backed away from the Yankees’ Rule 5 pick. He has continued to bring Winquest into games in the middle of innings, testing him in situations that mirror the high-pressure relief role he would fill during the regular season.
“I would say he’s in the mix, but also the next few weeks matter, too, for a lot of people,” Boone said. “I think he’s flashed things that we like about him. We like his fastball. We like the curveball. Because we don’t necessarily have that long window with him, we gotta kind of baptism by fire a little bit. I haven’t hesitated bringing him in, in the middle of an inning or whatever. I think he’s worked really diligently at developing that routine and getting used to it, and I think all in all, it’s gone pretty well.”
Winquest spent the 2025 season as a starter in the Cardinals’ system. He posted a 3.19 ERA in eight starts at Double-A Springfield after recording a 4.52 ERA in 17 games at High-A Peoria. His career minor league ERA sits at 4.19 and his total Double-A experience amounts to just 42 1/3 innings. The transition to a bullpen role has been an entirely new challenge.
“I’m still adjusting to the reliever role, bouncing back quicker, but I feel like my routine is starting to make that step forward and I’m getting used to it,” Winquest said. “It’s definitely more mental than anything. If you tell yourself you feel good, you’re gonna feel good. I think I have the mentality to get there. Now, I just need to adjust the routine on the body.”
A new sinker and an old fastball drive the case for keeping him
What the Yankees saw when they drafted Winquest has not changed. His fastball sits 94-96 mph and can touch 100. He throws a curveball that generates swings and misses. He has added a sinker since joining the Yankees, a pitch he picked up quickly during offseason work with the club’s pitching staff. He has also been developing a sweeper/slider as a fourth offering, though he admits he is still searching for consistency with it.
The Yankees finished 2025 with the 29th-fastest average four-seam velocity from their bullpen. Winquest’s arm strength directly addresses that Yankees weakness. If the sinker continues to develop, it gives him a second fastball shape that can neutralize right-handed lineups, an area where he struggled in the minors.
The organization has been tracking Winquest since the 2022 draft, when they nearly selected the UT-Arlington product themselves. That history gives Winquest confidence even as his spring numbers wobble.
“It definitely gives me confidence being the first Rule 5 pick in 14 years,” Winquest said. “I know this organization wants me. They’ve been looking at me since the 2022 draft. That helps the mental side of it. They believe in me. I believe in myself. I know I have the stuff out there. Now, I just have to make the adjustment and face big league hitters. The more reps I get, the better I’ll get.”
The Yankees bullpen math is getting tighter
David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, Fernando Cruz, Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn are considered safe for the Opening Day bullpen. That leaves roughly two spots open. Left-hander Brent Headrick, who posted a 3.13 ERA in 17 games for the Yankees last season, and the resurgent Jake Bird are the leading contenders.
Winquest’s main competition for one of those remaining Yankees bullpen spots is Headrick. But the club can option Headrick to the minors. They cannot do the same with Winquest without losing him entirely. That roster reality gives the Rule 5 pick an edge that his spring numbers alone do not support.
The next two weeks will decide it. Winquest has time. But the Yankees clock is ticking.
“Starter, reliever, whatever, it’s just a great opportunity for me,” Winquest said. “The opportunity is right there. I just gotta walk through that door and take advantage of every opportunity I have and just see what happens.”
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