The New York Yankees had the best bullpen by ERA in 2026.
It could get even better soon.
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic urged the team to fully convert right-hander Carlos Lagrange to a reliever.
Lagrange has been working with the intention of being a starter since he was signed. However, the current Yankees rotation has no opening for Lagrange to earn a spot.
They do have several bullpen openings, with a few key relievers set to hit free agency. Among them are David Bednar and Paul Blackburn.
Lagrange has the potential to be one of their best.
Who Is Lagrange of the New York Yankees?
The Yankees signed Lagrange in 2022 out of the Dominican Republic for just $10,000. The 6-foot-7, 248-pound behemoth almost immediately threw in the upper 90s, a rarity for a young pitcher.
Lagrange dominated the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and Florida Complex League, striking out 106 batters in just 74.2 innings. Injuries have held him down to an extent, but when healthy, he has looked unhittable.
He appeared on the verge of joining the major league team before the Trade Deadline. However, a capsular sprain in his shoulder ended his chances.
Lagrange has an unhittable fastball that sits around 97-99 mph, and tops out at 103 with carry and run. While his control needs some work, he has an MLB-ready fastball.
“Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said during spring training that they wanted to keep using Lagrange as a starter, but he currently has no path to join the big-league rotation,” Kirschner wrote. “They have several bullpen openings, and the Yankees could always use someone who can throw a 103 mph fastball. They haven’t had that level of velocity in their bullpen since they had Aroldis Chapman.”
If the Yankees are able to retain both Bednar and Blackburn, Lagrange could add another dimension to this New York bullpen.
How Will Lagrange Fit?
As mentioned, the Yankees rotation has zero room for Lagrange. Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Max Fried, Will Warren, Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers will already be vying for rotation spots.
With John Schreiber, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, Michael Fulmer, Bednar and Blackburn hitting free agency in the offseason, the Yankees will have some choices to make regarding their bullpen.
Likely, Lagrange will then replace one of these relievers. With his stuff, Lagrange has the potential to be a high-leverage reliever on a talented Yankees pitching staff.
His electric swing-and-miss stuff will join Bednar as a dynamic duo. However, as Kirschner said, Lagrange’s velocity is Chapman-like and can be a useful tool for the Yankees.
Either way, Lagrange will be a dangerous weapon for this Yankees bullpen.
Yankees Urged to Convert Top Prospect to Bullpen Arm