WITH THE YANKEE PEN HURT, THIS GUY MIGHT BE A PRIZE

An interesting dude has just gone on waivers. As you know, the Yankees are forever in search of that elusive "lightning in a bottle" bullpen arm to carry them through the season. And now, with Opening Day right around the corner, here comes a prime candidate: Justin Lawrence, fresh off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. And with the new hair policy it might be fun... I kid. I kid.

Let’s be real, Lawrence isn’t exactly coming off a Mariano Rivera-like campaign. After a solid 2023 season in which he posted a respectable 3.72 ERA with 11 saves and 78 strikeouts over 75 innings, things went a little sideways in 2024. His ERA ballooned to 6.49, his save total dwindled to two, and his strikeout numbers took a noticeable dip. Not exactly the kind of stat line that screams “must-have,” but hey, we’re talking about Brian Cashman here—a man who never met a reclamation project he didn’t love.

Now, under normal circumstances, scooping up a guy who struggled like that wouldn’t be a priority. But these aren’t normal circumstances for the Yankees' bullpen. JT Brubaker is sidelined with three broken ribs after his unsuccessful game of dodgeball with a comebacker. Scott Effross? Out. Clayton Beeter? Nope. Jake Cousins? Also MIA. So, at this point, why not take a flier on Lawrence?

The Yankees love a project, and Lawrence is nothing if not that. His funky sidearm delivery and mid-90s fastball have their moments, and if nothing else, he’d at least provide some depth in Triple-A. That is, if he has options left—something worth checking before we go all in on this idea.

Of course, claiming him would mean someone else has to go, but who’s really counting at this stage? Cashman could shuffle pieces around, create some phantom IL stints, or simply hope the bullpen sorts itself out in April. It’s not like that strategy has ever backfired before. Oh, wait.

In the grand scheme of things, Justin Lawrence probably isn’t the missing piece that finally gets the Yankees over the hump, but with how things are shaping up in the pen, taking a shot on him doesn’t sound that crazy. After all, desperation is a powerful thing—especially when your bullpen is held together with duct tape and a prayer.