MLB Updates: New York Yankees Eye Bullpen Reunion in Free Agency, as Crucial Pitching Market Shrinks

Sometimes endings are just an interval for a stronger second half. One just needs to look at the current offseason talks regarding the New York Yankees to understand that statement. Instead of going for new faces, the Bronx squad is far more interested in staging reunions. Whether it’s due to lower risk or lower costs, as it stands, it’s a festival of reunions that the Yankees are ready to celebrate.

Ever since the Juan Soto trade, the Pinstripes have been trying to get their bullpen back in shape. After arguably having the best bullpen in 2023, the Pinstripes currently look hollow. Former Astros reliever Hector Neris was strongly linked to the Yankees, but the power of friendship may have overpowered those links.

The Bronx reunion ceremony starts in full force for the New York Yankees.

YES Network’s Jack Curry recently revealed that the Bronx Bombers weren’t as interested in Hector Neris as they were in Wandy Peralta and Keynan Middleton. While Curry did clarify that the negotiations hadn’t completely died between Neris and Pinstripes, the two were allegedly a little too far apart in their expectations. So is it only the cost that is affecting the Yankees’ minds?

With just a 1.71 ERA in 2023, Neris has proven to be a genuine game-changer. Could the Yankees use him? Of course they can, but one needs to remember that Neris is a righty. The bullpen of the Pinstripes is already heavily right-handed; they need a strong lefty, and Wandy Peralta fills that bill perfectly.

Although Peralta’s 2.83 ERA in 2023 was a little high, it was partly due to the tricep injury he tried to power himself through. It’s a testament to his skills that he still had a 4-2 record. However, the biggest reason to sign him is Peralta’s popularity in the Yankees clubhouse. His wicked sense of humor and reliability, as well as lower costs, could make him a perfect pitcher for the Pinstripes.

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On the other hand, Keynan Middleton is a classic depth signing. Although he didn’t have a remarkable 2023, he isn’t expected to throw a huge number of innings. He’s a safe hand that will be seldom used. What this tells us is that the Yankees might already have confidence in their existing bullpen.

How the Pinstripes bullpen looks right now

The Yankees have already traded with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Victor Gonzalez. Apart from him, there are the likes of Clay Holmes, Ian Hamilton, Nick Ramirez, and Tommy Kahnle who have already proven their reliability in 2023. Though the absence of Michael King is huge, it looks like the Yankees expect these pitchers to collectively make up for it.

So as of now, Peralta and Middleton look like favorites. Though Jack Curry did say that Neris is still just a call or text away, the question is: with a payroll that has climbed over $300 million, do the Yankees want to spend high anymore?

Read more: Have the New York Yankees Added Enough This Off-Season to Make a World Series Challenge?