The New York Yankees could bring back a familiar face to help bolster their bullpen.
New York had another disappointing playoff exit, being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. So, the Yankees are expected to be aggressive to bolster their roster.
Free agency officially opened up on Monday, but still no major deals have been made.
New York Yankees Predicted to Sign Jonathan Loaisiga
The Yankees bullpen had mixed results last season, and New York could look to bolster it in free agency.
The Yankees are hopeful to bring back David Bednar, but they still could use some mid-leverage relievers. One name that makes a ton of sense is Jonathan Loaisiga, who spent the 2025 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks after spending the previous eight with the Yankees.
With free agency underway, MLB analyst Darragh McDonald of MLBTradeRumors predicted the Yankees will bring back Loaisiga to a two-year, $13 million deal.
“A low-cost one-year signing of Loaisiga was one of Arizona’s best moves last winter,” the article read. “The former Yankee standout has been beset by injuries in recent years but bounced back with the second-highest workload of his big league career (67 innings), turning in a sharp 2.42 ERA in the process. …
“He’ll turn 32 over the winter, and this was the first time he reached even 30 innings in a season since 2022. He’s only reached 40 major league innings in a season on three occasions. Loaisiga should be a popular target for teams seeking setup options — particularly those with stout infield defenses who can maximize his ground-ball tendencies. Darragh’s pick: Yankees.”
Loaisiga makes a ton of sense for the Yankees as he’s proven he can pitch in New York and would be a nice setup man. He can pitch in the sixth or seventh innings for the Yankees, and if he can stay healthy, it would be a home run signing.
With the Diamondbacks, Loaisiga went 7-3 with a 2.42 ERA. In his MLB career, he’s 26-15 with a 3.30 ERA in 9 MLB seasons.
New York Gives David Bednar a Qualifying Offer
The Yankees did make a move to the bullpen before free agency as they gave Bednar a qualifying offer.
The qualifying offer is for $23.15 million, which means Bednar can accept the one-year deal or decline it and become a free agent. If he declines it, the Yankees would receive draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere.
Bednar could also decline it and then work out a multi-year extension with the Yankees, which makes sense for both sides.
Bednar went 7-3 with a 2.47 ERA in 64 games last season, including going 35-of-39 in saves.
New York Yankees Predicted to Bring Back Veteran Reliever After One Year Away