NEW YORK — The Yankees are looking for bullpen help in a crowded free-agent market, and two familiar names have already drawn interest from some of their most formidable competitors.
Their choices present an unusual contrast. One former Yankees reliever rebuilt his value elsewhere. Another is coming off a difficult season in the Bronx. Both could command attention well beyond New York.
That creates a complication for general manager Brian Cashman, who is trying to replace multiple late-inning options before the 2027 season.
Mets and Blue Jays enter chase for Jonathan Loaisiga
Loaisiga returned to the open market after a resurgence with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees, Mets and Blue Jays are among the clubs interested in the 32-year-old, according to Jon Heyman.
In 67 appearances for Arizona, Loaisiga went 7-3 with a 2.42 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. He struck out 48 and walked 13 across 67 innings. His strong control and ability to limit damaging contact helped restore his value after three injury-interrupted seasons.
Loaisiga made his major league debut with the Yankees in 2018 and remained with the organization through 2025. Elbow problems limited him to 17 games in 2023 and three in 2024. He returned for 30 appearances in 2025 before moving to Arizona.
His 2026 rebound gives New York a reason to consider another partnership. It also gives rival clubs evidence that he can handle a meaningful workload again. Toronto’s reported involvement adds an AL East dimension to a market that already includes the Mets.
Dodgers add pressure to Yankees’ Tim Hill decision
Tim Hill is attracting a different kind of attention. The Yankees want to re-sign the veteran left-hander, but the Dodgers, Mets, Guardians and Giants are also in the mix, according to Heyman.
Update: Tim Hill returns. The Yankees and the reliever have agreed to one-year, $2.25M deal with 2028 club option of $2.5M, according to Jeff Passan.
The Dodgers present an intriguing obstacle. Hill grew up in Southern California and lives in San Diego with his family. Geography could become a factor alongside the competing clubs’ offers and bullpen opportunities.
Hill pitched in 67 games for the Yankees in 2026, totaling 58⅔ innings. He went 5-2 with a 4.60 ERA and struck out only 25 batters. That works out to just 3.8 strikeouts per nine innings, far below the swing-and-miss production associated with many late-inning relievers.
His appeal lies elsewhere. Hill’s low arm slot and sinker-heavy approach create a different look from power pitchers. He relies on ground balls and disrupted contact rather than strikeouts. That profile helps explain why several teams still see a role for him despite the elevated ERA.
Tim Hill reunion raises uncomfortable questions for Yankees
Hill’s market creates a difficult calculation for Cashman. The left-hander provided durability across a full season, yet his 4.60 ERA was more than two runs higher than Loaisiga’s 2.42 mark. The gap is 2.18 earned runs per nine innings.
The two pitchers appeared in 67 games apiece, but their results were substantially different. Loaisiga recorded 48 strikeouts in 67 innings, compared with Hill’s 25 in 58⅔. Hill also surrendered 12 home runs, compared with only three for Loaisiga.
A modest contract could make Hill useful as a specialist or middle-inning option. A stronger bidding market, however, would force the Yankees to decide how much to pay for a pitcher whose value depends heavily on contact management rather than strikeouts.
The Yankees could benefit from using Hill in a limited specialist role. His effectiveness against left-handed hitters remained valuable, holding them to a .213 average and .346 slugging percentage. With Brian Cashman rebuilding the bullpen, a low-cost, one-year reunion could make sense. The Yankees must prioritize versatile relievers rather than depend on Hill for full-inning assignments.
The question is especially pressing because Cashman needs to replace leverage innings, not merely fill bullpen roster spots. New York must determine whether Hill fits a rebuilt relief group or simply offers familiar depth.
The Loaisiga red flag
Jonathan Loaisiga’s biggest warning sign is his troubling injury history, which includes repeated elbow and shoulder problems and five injured-list stints since 2021. Although he revived his career with Arizona in 2026, posting a 2.42 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 67 innings, his durability remains a concern for the Yankees.
His relatively modest 48 strikeouts, averaging 6.45 per nine innings, also raise questions about his ability to dominate hitters in high-leverage situations. With the Dodgers, Mets and Blue Jays reportedly among the interested teams, competition could push his annual salary toward $10 million, making a reunion an expensive gamble.
The Yankees would be betting that Loaisiga can stay healthy and sustain his comeback rather than paying a premium for a reliever whose injury history leaves little room for error.
Cashman admits Yankees must reconstruct bullpen
Cashman has made relief pitching his main offseason priority. The urgency comes from a roster in which David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, John Schreiber and Michael Fulmer have uncertain futures in free agency.
During a Wednesday appearance on SiriusXM MLB Network Radio, Cashman offered a stark assessment of the Yankees’ current relief corps.
“What bullpen?” Cashman said. “I don’t have one now. I’ve got to figure it out.”
Bednar has a $23.15 million qualifying offer to consider by Nov. 17. Blackburn is also on the market. Brent Headrick remains under team control after a strong 2026 campaign, but one reliable returning left-hander cannot cover every late-game assignment.
New York is exploring a broad range of options, including outside additions and potential internal relief roles. The shortage of available high-leverage arms makes the price and timing of every signing more important.
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