Yankees open door to new bullpen help, reward Rodriguez with another shot

NEW YORK — The New York Yankees flew home from Queens on Sunday night carrying more than a 2-7 road trip and a Subway Series defeat.

They carried a problem the front office can no longer pretend is small.

The Yankees’ bullpen has the fifth-worst Win Probability Added mark in Major League Baseball at minus-1.10. And the Toronto Blue Jays, the same team that ended their 2025 season, arrive at Yankee Stadium on Monday.

That math is not a coincidence. The Yankees are going to do something about it.

The bullpen numbers the Bronx can’t unsee

The Yankees’ bullpen owns a minus-1.10 WPA, the fifth-worst figure in baseball. The unit ranks fifth in MLB in raw bullpen ERA, which masks how often relievers have entered with leads and surrendered them. Sunday was the loudest example. New York carried a 6-3 advantage into the ninth inning at Citi Field. Closer David Bednar gave up a two-out, three-run homer to Tyrone Taylor. Tim Hill then took the 10th. Carson Benge’s chopper with the infield in scored the winning run after Max Schuemann and Anthony Volpe collided fielding it.

That was a Sunday afternoon. The bigger picture is uglier.

The Yankees’ three primary offseason additions to the 40-man roster for the bullpen, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, and Angel Chivilli, have not produced the stabilizing impact the front office hoped for. Blackburn surrendered three earned runs in the Orioles blowout. Yarbrough has appeared only twice in the past three weeks, leaving Aaron Boone with no real long-relief option. Chivilli has been on and off the active roster with limited innings.

Yankees bullpen status through May 18, 2026:

Camilo Doval, handed the setup role coming out of spring training, has yielded 10 earned runs in 15.2 innings. His ERA sits at 5.76. He remains in the late-inning mix, but Boone has been forced to navigate around him in higher-leverage spots. The Yankees do not have a true set-up man right now.

Tim Hill has been the steadiest reliever in the group. Since being claimed off waivers in 2024, the Yankees’ pitching lab has reshaped his arsenal completely. His sinker now accounts for more than 80 percent of his pitches. He gets 73.2 percent of batted balls on the ground, the highest rate in baseball. Bednar’s underlying numbers point to bounce-back. His expected ERA of 2.39 suggests Sunday’s blown save is closer to an outlier than a trend.

The combination of those small bright spots and the larger structural issue is exactly why Boone said publicly on Sunday that the Yankees would discuss adding a reliever before the Blue Jays series.

The names on the Yankees’ bullpen wish list

After the loss to the Mets, manager Boone told reporters that the Yankees would discuss a move to add a reliever for the Blue Jays series, according to MLB’s Bryan Hoch.

Inside the organization, Yovanny Cruz at Triple-A Scranton is the most intriguing internal fix. In 14.2 innings, he carries a 1.23 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 19 strikeouts. The Yankees currently have an open 40-man roster spot, meaning Cruz could be added without a corresponding move. Flamethrower Carlos Lagrange is another option. The team may also consider ex-Astros champion and their minor-league player Rafael Montero.

Multiple external options are already floated. Trade names include Seranthony Dominguez of the Chicago White Sox. The 31-year-old right-hander carries a 3.95 ERA and is averaging 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings for a third straight season. His contract runs through 2027 with a mutual option in 2028, which would give Brian Cashman more than a rental. JoJo Romero of the St. Louis Cardinals has also been floated repeatedly. USA Today insider Bob Nightengale reported that teams are monitoring Cardinals assets closely as the deadline approaches.

Elmer Rodriguez bought himself another start

The decision to add a reliever became cleaner because of what Elmer Rodriguez did Sunday before the bullpen unraveled. The 22-year-old rookie right-hander made his third major league start at Citi Field. He worked four and one-third innings, allowed one run on five hits, walked one and struck out one. Marcus Semien’s RBI double in the fourth inning was the only damage. The Yankees took a 6-3 lead into the late innings because Rodriguez did his job.

MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported after the game that Boone confirmed Rodriguez will remain in the rotation for one more turn before Gerrit Cole’s return. That decision matters. It means the Yankees do not have to scramble for a starter while they figure out their bullpen at the same time.

Boone was asked directly after Sunday’s loss whether Rodriguez had done enough to keep his spot. The manager, speaking in the immediate aftermath of a brutal walkoff defeat, was clear about the rookie’s effort.

“Overall, I thought he did his job and gave us a real opportunity to win a game,” Boone said.

Rodriguez was recalled Saturday after Max Fried was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow bone bruise. He is ranked as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He carried a 1.27 ERA at Triple-A Scranton before the call-up. His third start was not dominant. But it was efficient and steady, which is exactly what the Yankees needed during a week when their rotation lost an anchor.

What the Yankees need now is a bullpen that does not erase what those starters build. Boone has said the discussion is happening. The Blue Jays are waiting. The clock is ticking. And the Bronx is watching every move.

What do you think? Who should the Yankees add to their bullpen?