THE YANKEES BULLPEN IS OFFICIALLY DEPLETED

The pitchers that the Yankees used to have in their bullpen are fleeing... leaving Camilo Doval and Dave Bednar to take care it of by themselves.  And where is Brian Cashman?  I assuming in the fetal position in the center of his bed in a dark room.  Why do I picture this? Because there is literally no excuse for the General Manager of the biggest, strongest franchise in baseball history to be sitting on his hands and not spending a dime or even TRYING to retain talent to be on the Yankees. Which means only one thing; the Beast of the Bronx is done.  We are no longer scary, dominant, strong or intimidating.  We are the Marlins of the Northeast, and it's the worst I've seen this team since 1990.  What the hell are we doing as an organization? I am being serious. Tell me. 

The Braves made it official on Friday: right-hander Ian Hamilton is heading to Atlanta on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. Another former Yankee, another fresh start, another reminder that the Bronx bullpen is slowly turning into a ghost town.

Hamilton spent the 2025 season wearing pinstripes, logging 36 appearances and a 4.28 ERA over 40 innings. The numbers don’t exactly leap off the page, but anyone who actually watched knows Hamilton’s story with the Yankees isn’t told by a single stat line. This is the same guy who came out of absolutely nowhere in 2023, armed with that funky “Slambio” pitch, and somehow turned himself into a legitimate setup option. No hype, no pedigree—just results. For a while, he was one of the rare bullpen surprises that actually worked.

Then came the injuries. Then came the roster shuffling. Then came the classic Yankees ending: a non-tender in late 2025 and a quiet exit out the side door.

Now Hamilton is gone, too—joining the long parade of relievers who once filled the Yankees bullpen and now populate everyone else’s. If you’re keeping score at home, that bullpen is looking less like a strength and more like a clearance rack.

Was I ever banging the table for the return Ian Hamilton? No, but that's not the point. But I understood what he brought. He worked. He competed. He showed up. He was solid, he was respected in the room, and—this part matters—he was a body. A usable, capable body in a bullpen that is currently running on fumes.

The Yankees are depleted, folks. This isn’t dramatic, and it’s not nitpicking. It’s reality. Arms keep leaving, replacements don’t keep coming, and the plan—if there is one—remains invisible. 

Hamilton landing with the Braves isn’t a franchise-altering move, but it’s another small, annoying reminder that the Yankees keep letting useful pieces walk… and there’s no clear end in sight.

YANKEE FANS WANT CHANGE WHEN IT COMES TO CLUELESS BOONE

So let me get this straight. Now Yankee fans are mad at Aaron Boone? Now that the Red Sox handed us a fresh plate of embarrassment? Where were you all when the rest of us were hoarse from screaming about this guy’s managerial brain fog for years? Welcome to the rage parade—nice of you to show up—but honestly, we could’ve used your pitchforks a few seasons ago.

Let’s stop pretending that Aaron Boone’s winning record means anything. Yeah, he's got some regular season numbers. Whoopee. You know who else had a winning record? Every substitute teacher who rolled the ball out in gym class and called it a day. Boone’s record is the equivalent of passing with a C-minus because the test was open book and graded on a curve. If you don’t win in October, it’s all just mediocre window dressing.

This team hasn’t won a championship under Boone. And this isn't the little-engine-that-could Oakland A’s. This is the New York Yankees. Championships are the standard. Mediocrity shouldn’t be tolerated, much less rewarded. And Boone? Mediocrity might as well be his middle name. Aaron "That’ll Do" Boone. It fits.

Let’s talk decision-making. Or lack thereof.

Luke Weaver? Boone squeezed every drop out of him like a used tube of toothpaste. Surprise! Now Weaver’s hamstring is toast. Then there's Ryan Yarbrough—Boone trots him out like he's Pedro Martinez in 2003, and surprise again, the guy gets torched.

The bullpen moves? Don’t even get me started. Ian Hamilton got the call the other night when several better options were sipping Gatorade and blinking in confusion. It was like watching someone grab a fork to unclog a garbage disposal—dangerous, dumb, and entirely preventable.

But the pièce de résistance? The Carlos Rodón debacle. Yankees were up 3-2 in the fifth after a rare DJ LeMahieu home run. Boone, trying to get just one more inning out of Rodón—because apparently learning from mistakes is optional—left him in. Walk. Hit by pitch. Boom. Three-run homer by former Yankee Carlos Narváez. Just like that, the lead was gone and so was any shred of logic in Boone’s brain.

And here’s the thing: as Yanks Go Yard put it, nobody’s buying Boone’s postgame excuse. Rodón had already shown he was teetering—he's the kind of pitcher who goes from dominant to dumpster fire with the grace of a falling piano. So why was he still in the game? Because Boone refuses to trust his gut. Or worse… maybe there’s nothing in the gut to trust.

This is what happens when your entire philosophy is built around spreadsheets. Boone is glued to the analytics fed to him by Michael Fishman—who, let’s face it, should probably be using his data wizardry to simulate wins in The Show instead of meddling with real ones.

Look, I hate to be that guy, but maybe Boone’s just not wired for this job. Something’s off. The game moves too fast for him. Strategy flies over his head like a missed cutoff throw. The Yankees need a manager, not a lab tech with a dugout pass.

This can’t wait until the end of the season. Fire him now. Not after a seven-game losing streak. Not after another playoff disaster. Now. Before we waste yet another year.

Boone’s time is up. The fans know it. The players probably know it. The wins may be there on paper, but on the field? It's mediocrity in motion.

And we’re done watching the same rerun.

ANOTHER AARON BOONE DECISION LOSES GAME FOR YANKS

Here we go again. Another game, another avoidable Yankees loss, and — spoiler alert — another chapter in Aaron Boone’s How Not to Manage a Bullpen masterclass.

The Yankees coughed up a lost to the Sox. A 10-7 win, Yanks lose. Painful? Sure. Predictable? If you’ve watched this team under Boone, absolutely.

Now, let’s be fair: when a pitcher gets the ball, he’s supposed to do his job. If he doesn’t, that’s on him. But let’s zoom out. Because the question isn’t just who blew the game — it’s why was that guy in the game at all?

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Ian Hamilton. Your ninth-inning guy....against the Red Sox. Yes, that was the decision Aaron Boone made. And no, it doesn’t make sense.

Hamilton hadn’t pitched in a week. He’s been shaky. Yet Boone tapped him to hold the line in the ninth, and it predictably exploded in his face. Or rather, our faces. Because Yankee fans are the ones paying the price for this recurring nonsense.

FanSided said it best in a scathing and accurate breakdown:

“Hamilton pitched the ninth inning and immediately allowed four straight Red Sox hitters to reach base. Two of those runners scored, turning what was a one-run deficit into a three-run deficit. Hamilton was once an important piece in the Yankees' bullpen, and he hadn't pitched in a week, but using him in that game in that spot is just the latest Aaron Boone blunder.”

Boom. Right there. That’s the story. And that’s the problem.

This isn’t Hamilton hate. The guy has had moments. But managing isn’t just about pulling names from a hat — it’s about context. It’s about feel. It’s about not being completely clueless in high-leverage situations. And yet here we are.

Once again, the Yankees hand Boone a lead, and he returns it gift-wrapped to the opponent like a confused mall Santa in July.

We’ve been down this road before. We screamed about it last October when Boone trotted Nestor Cortes out to face Freddie Freeman with runners on and no bullets left. That wasn’t Year 1 Boone. That was Year 6 Boone. And it was still a total disaster.

So fast forward to last night. With the bullpen available, why was Ian Hamilton the choice? Jonathan Loáisiga likely wasn’t an option after back-to-back outings. Fine. But Devin Williams? He threw 14 pitches the night before. Fernando Cruz? Just 9 pitches.

And you’re telling me they were both down? In a one-run game? Against Boston?

Give me a break.

There’s no guarantee they would’ve shut the door, but the odds were infinitely better than running a rusty Hamilton out there cold. This wasn’t complicated. This wasn’t 4D chess. This was “Who’s my best arm tonight?” and Boone somehow forgot the entire board.

And here’s the part that blows my mind: where is the outrage?

Where are the other Yankees blogs? The analysts? The media members? Why aren’t more people calling this out?

The man is bad at this. Full stop. And every loss like this one is a reminder that a different manager might have this team in first place instead of floating in mediocrity. The margins matter. And Boone is consistently on the wrong side of them.

And don’t even get me started on the postgame pressers. You want professionalism from your manager? Boone was literally picking his teeth while talking to reporters after the game.

 

We’re not making this up. The Yankees are bleeding and this dude’s flossing on camera.

It’s embarrassing.

At some point, the Yankees’ front office has to recognize what’s painfully obvious to the rest of us: this team will never win a championship with Aaron Boone as the manager.

You want to beat Boston? Win a division? Hoist a trophy in October?

You don’t do it with a guy who thinks “rested and rusty” is a bullpen strategy.

Tonight is a must-win as far as I'm concerned. The series is still within reach. But if Boone keeps rolling out the wrong guy at the wrong time, this team will keep losing games it should win.

And when that happens — again — don’t blame the bullpen.

Blame the guy picking his teeth in the dugout while the season goes down the drain.

That’s the bottom line.

HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE

 

Source: Noah K. Murray / NY Post

Don't go to sleep thinking that the Yankees have this, but really, they sort of don't. After an amazing offensive effort that gave the Yankees an 8-2 lead into the mid innings, it became a nail biter into the 9th. The bullpen who earlier was showing signs of promise, almost blew it, leaving the Yankees hanging on for dear life.

Aaron Boone in is spin-doctor like fashion shrugged it all off with his statement after the game, "It doesn’t always go according to plan,’’ Boone said. “But shaking hands [after a win] sure solves a lot,” reported the Post. Leaving in pitchers too long or not long enough almost bit Boone in the ass. And with Jonathan Loáisiga out for the season with UCL surgery awaiting, the Yankees have to figure this out. You can't blow a 7-run lead. You can't if you want to win a championship.

"Loaisiga was slated to replace Michael King, who was traded over the offseason, as the Yankees' primary multi-inning bullpen option. He appeared in three of the Yankees' first seven games, logging four scoreless innings," reported ESPN. 

Meanwhile in his and King's absence, the Yankees needed every one of those runs to hang in there. And it was a rare cold night where all the bats were working. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit diggers and Anthony Rizzo lit of the stadium outfield as well. But it was almost not enough and that's just not good enough. So, what's the plan for this bullpen? How can the Yankees recover and not put themselves into this position?

"In Loaisiga's absence, Boone figures to use Ian Hamilton most heavily to set up for closer Clay Holmes. Boone said that he believes Dennis Santana, who made his Yankees debut in Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays, will also play a significant role in the Bombers' bullpen," reports MLB.com.

It is important to note that "Victor Gonzalez, Ian Hamilton and Clay Holmes pitched the final 2.2 innings and after a scare in the ninth where they allowed three runs, New York was able to hang on for the 9-8 win," reported SNY.com. 

Source: The Athletic

The Yankees have an opportunity to win this year. Their start is the best in years. But if they can't hold a good lead, they will falter. So Matt Blake, get your guys together and huddle up. We can't have what happened last night happening consistently. Call it a blimp in the upward line graph if you will and I will for now. But get it together. Can't win if your pitching does not hold up. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

DEEP DIVE THAT YANKEE TRAINING STAFF, HAL! ANOTHER PLAYER TO THE IL!

Really! What is happening with the Yankees and their injuries?  And I will ask this question again... Is anyone keeping an eye on how these players are playing the game? Anyone checking in on them?  Anyone know why the injuries keep on piling up?  

The latest injured player is Jonathan Loaisiga.  Inside the Pinstripes writes:

" Loaisiga was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. This will likely knock him out for the rest of the season.

This news comes after the Yankees placed fellow relievers Ian Hamilton (groin) and Keynan Middleton (shoulder inflammation) on the IL, which will also likely keep them out for the rest of the season."

What blows me away is how often the injuries occur. Within days of each other.  

Now Steinbrenner has mentioned he wants to do a deep dive in every Yankee department this off season and I can't wait for that to begin.  Will it actually happen? I think it will. Look for a hot second the Yankees were thrilled that the kids came up and won a handful of games. it made everyone forget about all this garbage. But once Dominguez got hurt too, they were suddenly like "Well, back to reality. We suck and a lot of guys are still hurt."  Reality set in.

And so... a lot of work needs to go into improving the Yankees this off season.  Alot of personnel needs to be fired. Alot of new, smart people need to come in and do a better job.  And most importantly, that medical and training staff of theirs needs to be revamped.  Why? Cause it's a major problem, that's why.

Get well soon Loaisiga. We need you big guy.

ANOTHER YANKEE PLAYER HEADS TO THE IL... THANKS CASHMAN!

Brian Cashman collects damaged goods.  

There has to be something within the Yankee organization player selection process that is wacky and wrong and flawed, because everyone who comes over to the Yankees gets hurt... and be that a Frankie Montas who just lied to everyone, or our latest casualty... Keynan Middleton.  Yup, you heard that right.

A brand-new Yankee is hurt.  How convenient.  Give me a break, Cashman.  Are these players vetted?  I am so glad that Steinbrenner is going to do a deep dive into every department the Yankees have... because we need to get to the bottom of this garbage.

The New York Post writes:

"Middleton landed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday, with right shoulder inflammation...It marked the second time in the last four days that the Yankees have lost a reliever to the IL, with Ian Hamilton suffering a groin strain over the weekend."

Lovely.

Look, there is no way to know if this guy was hurt before he came here, but then you have to question how we train and work with these players in New York... because it's just how many new guys come over... only to be played on the IL.

THE YANKEES PLAY THE RAZZING GAME & ARE WINNING

I'm not saying the Yankees weren't poking the bear... I'm saying it wasn't as calculated as the Rays thought... but now it's game on.

Everyone who has seen Albert Abreu pitch knows the guy doesn't have great control.  The fact that yesterday's bench clearing brawl all happened because Randy Arozarena thought Abreu did it on purpose is silly.  The truth is the Yankees are fighting for their life, not for first place and when that happens, teams often fall apart. The Yanks are in a spiral, mentally as well as physically. Yesterday's game against the Rays was simply about survival, not winning.  

If you don't know what I'm talking about read this from ESPN:

"Benches and bullpens emptied twice in the eighth inning after one of five hit batters, but no punches were thrown, and the Yankees lost their eighth straight series rubber game....

"I think it was on purpose," Arozarena said through an interpreter. "If you look back at [the] previous series, he's hit me before. I've been hit in previous series before that. They hurt Yandy [Diaz] the other day, they hit [Isaac] Paredes in the head, so I think it probably was an issue for them."

Benches cleared TWICE in the Rays-Yankees game 😳

(via @BallyRays) pic.twitter.com/VRkva1Zj4A

— Yahoo Sports MLB (@MLByahoosports) August 27, 2023

But when it comes to Abreu and his control, CBS Sports writes this:

"Abreu is not blessed with good control -- he's walked 13.3% of the batters he's faced this season -- though Sunday was the second time he's hit Arozarena this season, and the third Rays player he's hit this year overall. If you keep plunking players on the same team, that team is not going to be happy. "

Now look, getting hit is part of the game. You're gonna hit a guy in the stomach, the ass, go for it, but the truth is Abreu was just trying to pitch.  Hey, maybe he looked at Arozarena and said, "I hate this prick", but whatever... again for the Yankees it's about survival. They literally can't fight their way out of a paper bag. It's terrible.  To make matters worse... the Rays keep chirping about it.

Brandon Lowe of the Rays was quoted as saying this:

"Looking at it in a different view, it's a last-place team... We don't need to worry about it. We need to focus up on what we need to do down the stretch. If they lose a guy, it's not going to be quite as big of a deal as if we're losing one of our guys. We're focused up on kind of a bigger picture."

But you are worrying about it, Brandon.  Arozarena worried about it and so are you! How about STFU?

Look, the Rays are rarely in a position like this where they can rip on the Yanks. They are rarely in a position where they actually have a shot at winning and I applaud them, but you're worried about Albert Abreu.  Are you kidding?

The best quote came from gamer Ian Hamilton of the Yanks who wants more Rays:

"You understand their anger?" Hamilton said. "I understand it. But at the same time, if they want to come over here, they can come over here, I guess. Wish we had another game against them."

This isn't over folks. We're in their head. And at this point of the season for the Yankees who are playing for nothing... maybe the razzing game is the way to go.

THE YANKEES SIGN HAMILTON!

Do you know Ian Hamilton? Cause I barely do.

Just a quick note. The Yankees have signed a righty pitcher with a ton of upside in Ian Hamilton.  

MLB Trade Rumors writes:

"Hamilton will presumably be invited to participate in major league Spring Training.

Hamilton, 28 in June, has 15 scattered major league appearances, with 10 of those coming in 2018, four in 2020 and one last year. He has a 4.91 ERA over 14 2/3 innings in that time, striking out 14.1% of hitters while walking 12.5% of them and posting a 39.1% ground ball rate."

I know what you're thinking... What's the point? Well, sometimes the Yankees find lightening in a bottle. I can count the times it's happened. Aaron Small, Shawn Chacon in 2005. I would even suggest a guy like Clay Holmes to some extent. I didn't have much faith in that guy when he came over, but he proved himself and really showed new life.

My point is, we can be down on a guy like Ian Hamilton all we want, but you never know what dudes can do and I have faith.  

Anyway, short post, but newsworthy.

Happy Tuesday.