The New York Yankees decided to hang onto both Jake Bird and Cade Winquest, which meant another reliever had to go.
The Yankees lost reliever Osvaldo Bido to the Atlanta Braves, who claimed him off waivers after the Yankees decided to keep Winquest and Bird on their opening-day roster.
Bido, 30, was a non-roster invitee of the Yankees after spending 2025 with the Athletics. In seven spring-training innings, Bido was dominant, posting a 1.29 ERA and seven strikeouts, but the Yankees still cut him and decided to keep Winquest and Bird on their roster.
The Yankees open the season Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.
The Braves Claimed Osvaldo Bido Off Waivers From the Yankees
Bido struggled, as most pitchers do, in Sacramento last year. The 6-3, 175-pound righty gave up 52 earned runs in just 79 2/3 innings (5.87 ERA) while posting a 1.61 WHIP and making 26 appearances and 10 starts.
But Bido was much better in 2024 when the A’s were still in Oakland, and the Yankees took a flier. Still, he was out of minor-league options, and the Braves took a chance on him by claiming when the Yankees waived him.
In 58 career major-league outings, 28 of which are starts, Bido has a 9-13 roster with a 5.07 ERA with the A’s and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees used him exclusively out of the bullpen during spring training, and the Braves could use him as either a long reliever or set-up man for closer Raisel Iglesias, depending on how built up they want him to be.
The Yankees Kept Cade Winquest and Jake Bird Over Osvaldo Bido
Bido was dominant in spring training. Though he walked three in those seven innings, he pitched to a 1.14 WHIP and allowed only five hits and one earned run in his Grapefruit League outings.
But because Bido was out of options, and the Yankees had a vested interest in keeping both Winquest and Bird, he was the odd man out and landed on waivers.
Bird was a trade-deadline acquisition from the Colorado Rockies in 2025 who has major swing-and-miss stuff, despite his 27.00 ERA in a small sample of post-trade games with the Yankees.
Bird does have minor-league options, but he had 16 strikeouts in just 10 innings of spring training and did not give up a home run in the Grapefruit League. He earned his spot on the Yankees’ 26-man roster.
So it really came down to Winquest vs Bido, and the Yankees had to keep Winquest in the majors to retain him — according to the Rule 5 Draft rules. The Yankees claimed Winquest in the Rule 5 Draft from the St. Louis Cardinals, and if he did not stay on their big-league roster, they would have to offer him back to the Cardinals for $50,000 before he was available to be sent to Triple-A.
Like Bird, Winquest pitched 10 innings of spring training but was not as effective, pitching to a 7.20 ERA. He gave up three home runs and had one blown save, though he did accrue two holds, but the Yankees likely retained him due to the Rule 5 parameters.
Yankees Reliever Claimed on Waivers by Braves After Cade Winquest Decision