The New York Yankees have got one of the most star studded rosters in Major League Baseball, and while they’ve not been perfect as of late, the team still hold a commanding eight game lead atop the American League Wild Card standings.
While that’s a good lead, the team certainly aren’t safe just yet, and given their bullpen and offensive struggles in recent times, there’s plenty of cause for concern among the Yankees fanbase. They have options thankfully, and when the team get healthy, the hope is that they can find that consistency, but until then, they’ve reportedly checked in on a very intriguing reliever.
Yankees Checking in on Zack Littell
GettyZack Littell with the Washington Nationals.
During Tuesday’s loss to the Houston Astros, the Yankees bullpen gave up six earned runs, and shortly after, the team announced injuries to key arms in the ‘pen, giving Yankees fans plenty to worry about with the post-season just over a month away.
On Wednesday, they bounced back nicely, tossing three combined innings with zero earned runs, and now, they may be eyeing up help for the stretch run as this team aim to get back to the World Series. That would be Zack Littell, a pitcher that was recently waived by the Arizona Diamondbacks, with Joel Sherman reporting that the Yankees are one of several teams to have checked in on the 30-year-old veteran.
In recent years, Littell has provided Cincinnati, Tampa Bay and San Francisco some valuable innings, but in 2026 with the Diamondbacks and Nationals combined this season, he’s been well below his best, posting a 7.50 ERA across 12.0 innings of work.
Should the Yankees Target Zack Littell?
Coming into 2026, the Yankees added some bullpen arms as they looked to solidify what was seen as one of baseball’s best pitching groups, but unfortunately, recent injuries to both their rotation and bullpen have held them back.
The biggest loss for New York was Fernando Cruz who has put together a 3.13 ERA across 61 appearances this season, with the team desperately needing to replace him as they look to solidify their starting rotation and bullpen, with Littell emerging as a genuine option down the stretch, despite being moved on not once, but twice this season.
Sure, this season hasn’t been Littell’s best, but when he finds himself in a defined role, he can thrive, posting an ERA of 3.81 in 32 appearances in 2025 with the Reds and Rays, but given what the Yankees goals are in 2026, they’ll be taking a risk on him after struggling this season. As Sherman mentions however, the Yankees were one of several teams checking in on Littell, so there’s no guarantee that he ends up in the Bronx, but if New York believe he can help them, don’t be shocked to see him in pinstripes in the next few weeks.
Yankees Reportedly Checking in on Nine-Year MLB Reliever