The New York Yankees are expected to pursue bullpen help before the August 3 MLB Trade Deadline.
New York went out and acquired David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and others last year to bolster the bullpen, but the Yankees’ bullpen is once again an issue. Bednar has had his struggles, and the Yankees could look to acquire a closer to replace him.
However, MLB analyst Matthew Schmidt of YankeesRoundtable believes New York should go internal and make Fernando Cruz the team’s closer.
“As of now, Bednar is the Yankees’ closer, but New York has until the Aug. 3 trade deadline to find some reinforcements,” Schmidt wrote. “You kind of get the feeling that Bednar will find himself in more of a setup role before season’s end, and it would be surprising if the Yankees didn’t add at least one or two relievers in the coming weeks. But is there a chance that New York’s ninth-inning solution is already on its roster?
“Enter Fernando Cruz, who picked up his first save on Tuesday night by fanning four batters over 1.2 innings during a win over the Cleveland Guardians. … We also know that Cruz possesses the mentality to close. Nothing fazes him. He is a fiery competitor who takes his craft incredibly seriously, and that is exactly what you want from your ninth-inning man. The 36-year-old has been one of the best relievers in baseball this season no matter how you slice it, and he deserves to be rewarded for it.”
Cruz has been stellar this season in high-leverage situations as he’s 3-1 with a 1.84 ERA, with 11 holds, and is 1-for-1 in saves. So, if the Yankees can’t acquire a proven closer, perhaps Cruz will be the option.
Yankees Need Bullpen Reinforcements
New York has one of the best rosters in baseball this season and is a legit World Series threat.
Yet, if the Yankees are going to compete for a World Series, the bullpen needs to be better. The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty spoke to MLB evaluators, and all named the bullpen the biggest need for New York.
“At last year’s deadline, the Yankees brought in a trio of relief arms in Jake Bird, Camilo Doval and David Bednar,” Kuty wrote. “They may not need as much assistance in sheer quantity this time around. Especially with internal options they may be considering. But one of the evaluators, when asked about the Yankees’ weak points, replied: ‘Lots of bullpen (help).’”
The Yankees do have some internal options, especially if Ryan Weathers gets shifted to the bullpen. But New York will likely look to acquire at least one, if not more, high-leverage relievers before the trade deadline.
New York Makes Roster Moves
Before the Yankees kick off a three-game road series against the Toronto Blue Jays, they made a roster move.
The Yankees optioned reliever Angel Chivilli to Triple-A after his rehab assignment was completed.
“Today, the Yankees returned RHP Angel Chivilli from his rehab assignment, reinstated him from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre,” the Yankees wrote on X.
New York is 41-26 and tied for the top spot in the AL East.
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