LET THE YANKEES BULLPEN BLOW UP BEGIN!

Of the many things that just didn't go right last season, the bullpen was no exception. In hopes that we don't have to relive that experience again, we can rejoice in a brief moment knowing the bullpen is getting a giant makeover. I wonder what the final reveal will look like.

It should be a big change. The Yankees have three 2025 bullpen arms on the free agent market headlined by Devin Williams (Thank goodness for that), Luke Weaver and Jonathan Loaisiga in addition to five non-tendered arms. Now as long as Williams stays far away there should be some big changes coming.

The Yankees non-tendered Mark Leiter Jr., Scott Effross, Ian Hamilton and Jake Cousins, and minor league reliever Michael Arias ahead of the deadline to offer players contracts for 2026.  The Yankees need a major bullpen upgrade heading into next season because we cannot afford to have another repeat of what we just watched.

It's amazing how our offense had high rankings last season like first in runs, home runs and slugging percentage but our bullpen was at the bottom of the dumpster. A season prior the Yankees were sixth best to finishing at 23rd in the majors with a 4.37 ERA. It was a night and day difference that left me screaming at my television night after night.

On the surface, it sounds like a lot of men to replace in the bullpen but it's an addition by subtraction. Especially since I will no longer have to watch Leiter Jr blow a game and won't have to read about him being left off a postseason roster for a third straight season. 

So now Brian Cashman gets to focus on a full scale reclamation project and we get to sit back and hold our breath in terror. Now we just hope that they don't add a bunch of guys that the analytical nerds completely tarnish somehow. It's too bad they didn't release these guys a couple of days ago then they could’ve added some more rule 5 eligible players. 

I guess I have a dose of cynicism today. I'm glad we cut some dead weight, but Cashman's track record doesn't inspire a lot of confidence these days. Now he has plenty more reclamation prospects out there to claim. Let's just hope he doesn't chase after Joey Gallo who is making a comeback as a pitcher. That would be the next terrible nightmare......

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

JUST REAL BAD NEWS ABOUT JAKE COUSINS

Look, let’s just cut the nonsense: Yankees fans have been dragged through the mud all season when it comes to Jake Cousins. One minute he's shut down. The next, he’s throwing again. Then boom—he vanishes like your hopes during a late-inning bullpen collapse, almost like Aaron Boone has no idea what's going on. Now, after months of vague updates and hopeful whispers, the bomb drops: Cousins is getting Tommy John surgery. Season over. Thanks for playing.

This isn't just bad luck—this feels like malpractice, or at least major miscommunication. Either the medical staff botched the diagnosis early, or the Yankees front office just doesn't know how to handle a pitching injury without spinning it into a PR puzzle.

Cousins was one of the few bullpen arms who actually gave fans a reason to exhale in 2024. The dude had a 2.37 ERA over 38 innings in the regular season and was a steady presence in a pen that has been anything but. Sure, he got knocked around a bit in the playoffs (that 9.00 ERA still stings), but let’s not act like everyone else was shutting doors and blowing kisses.

Across four big-league seasons, he’s posted a 2.78 ERA in 88 appearances. That’s not just serviceable—that’s solid. And now? He's sidelined until 2026, and we’re once again left wondering if this organization actually knows what it’s doing when it comes to keeping pitchers healthy.

They stashed him on the 60-day IL back in March with a "right elbow flexor strain," which now feels like a fancy way of saying, “We’re not sure, but we’ll wing it.” That's how it feels at least. He tried a brief rehab stint in High-A, which lasted about as long as a TikTok trend, and then we hear it’s a UCL issue. Days later, Tommy John.

With the Yankees currently spiraling and their bullpen unraveling faster than Boone’s postgame logic, losing Cousins just adds more gasoline to a fire no one seems interested in putting out.

At this point, all fans want is clarity. Maybe even a little honesty. But the Yankees operate in a fog of vague updates, sunny projections, and straight-up gaslighting. We don’t need optimism. We need facts. We need guys like Cousins healthy. And if that’s not possible, at least stop pretending like everything's fine until the elbow ligament snaps.

This isn’t just a blow to the pen. It’s another gut punch in a season full of them.

JAKE COUSINS MOVING TO A LONGER RECOVERY

Geez, what else is new?

The Yankees are dealing with a brutal wave of injuries, and if this trend keeps up, it won’t matter one bit that they’re leading the division at the end of April. A team can only handle so much wear and tear before the cracks start to show. Right now, the Yankees’ injured list is starting to look like a waiting room at an urgent care clinic. Something’s got to give because this isn’t sustainable.

The latest setback? Right-hander Jake Cousins is headed to the 60-day IL with a right elbow flexor strain, sidelining him for at least two months. That’s a tough pill to swallow. Cousins was a crucial weapon out of the bullpen last season, delivering a stellar 2.37 ERA over 38 innings and striking out 53 batters. Losing him sucks, especially considering how dominant he was when healthy.

Originally, Cousins was shut down in February with a forearm strain, and now that it’s officially diagnosed as a flexor strain, his recovery timeline is up in the air. These kinds of injuries are unpredictable—sometimes they heal on schedule, and other times they linger like a bad habit. Either way, the Yankees will have to navigate the early part of the season without one of their most reliable relief arms.

But let’s be honest here—this injury plague isn’t new. A while back, I pointed out how concerning the Yankees’ injury list was, and guess what? It’s only gotten worse, read HERE. Back then, it was alarming. Now? It’s downright ridiculous. You’d think they were holding spring training on concrete the way guys are dropping like flies. Something is seriously wrong. Is it the medical staff? The training methods? A cursed workout playlist? Whatever it is, it’s costing the team dearly.

At this rate, it feels like the Yankees need a full-time team of doctors more than a bullpen coach. If this pattern doesn’t change, it won’t matter how talented this roster is—because they’ll all be watching from the dugout in street clothes. The front office needs to get to the bottom of this injury epidemic before the season turns into a battle of attrition. Because right now? This blows.

AND YET ANOTHER YANKEE PITCHER IS OUT!

Alright, let’s just put it out there—what in the actual hell is happening to the Yankees? Are they cursed? Did someone anger the baseball gods? Did Aaron Boone break a mirror in the clubhouse? Because at this point, we’re running out of rational explanations for why the Yankees' roster looks like a M.A.S.H. unit before the season has even started.

You already know about Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Giancarlo Stanton—because of course, Giancarlo Stanton. But if you happened to check out my earlier piece, GEEZ, HAVE YOU SEEN THE YANKEES "INJURED LIST" LATELY? from March 4th, you’d know that the injury bug isn’t just nibbling at the Yankees—it’s feasting on them like it’s at an all-you-can-eat buffet. And now, as if we needed more, Mark Leiter Jr. joins the list! Hooray!

Leiter was supposed to pitch Thursday against the Tigers, but, oh no—he felt something in his back. And in classic Yankees fashion, the team decided to play it safe. He’s now scheduled to throw live batting practice on Sunday. So, you know what that means? Expect him on the IL by Tuesday!

And then there’s Aaron Boone. The human embodiment of “everything is fine” while the Yankees’ roster crumbles around him. Here’s what he had to say about Leiter: “It wasn’t anything huge, I think he just wanted to be safe with it.” Oh, okay. So, totally not a big deal, right? Just like all the other injuries that start as “nothing huge” and then suddenly become “he’ll be back in six months, hopefully”. Boone either has no idea what’s going on with his players or he’s just trained to downplay everything to keep us from full-blown panic. Either way, it’s exhausting.

But wait, there’s more! Because of course, there is. The Yankees are already juggling injuries to Scott Effross (hamstring strain), Jake Cousins (forearm strain), and Tyler Matzek (oblique strain). Oh, and don’t forget about Jonathan Loáisiga, who is still building back from elbow surgery and probably won’t see the mound until late May or early June.

So, I ask again—why is this happening at an alarming rate? Bad luck? A terrible strength and conditioning program? Overtraining? Undertraining? Are the Yankees holding secret underground sumo wrestling tournaments in the offseason?

It’s a vicious cycle: guys get hurt, other players “step up” and overexert themselves, and then—surprise!—they get hurt too. And no one seems to be doing anything about it! It’s beyond frustrating at this point.

At some point, someone in the Yankees' front office needs to stop shrugging and actually take a hard look at why half the team is always in traction. Until then, I guess we’ll just keep watching the injury list grow and wonder who’s next.

Because let’s be real—someone is definitely next.

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.

REMEMBER SCOTT EFFROSS? ME NEITHER

Scott Effross? Oh, right—that guy! The one who’s technically a Yankee but spends more time in a rehab facility than on a mound. Well, strap in for another chapter of the never-ending saga of "Effross vs. His Own Body." During Tuesday’s Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Effross managed to throw exactly one pitch before his hamstring decided, “Nah, I’m good,” per Greg Joyce of the New York Post.

Effross hobbled off the field with the trainer, adding yet another entry to his ever-expanding medical chart. At this point, he probably has a punch card at the Yankees’ training room—one more injury, and he gets a free ice bath.

To recap: Since being traded to the Yankees in August 2022, Effross has made a grand total of 16 appearances for New York. He missed all of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery, then barely saw the light of day in 2024 with just 32 appearances across the majors and minors, thanks to back surgery. His body breaks down more often than a used car with a “trust me” sticker on the windshield.

And, of course, Effross isn’t alone in the Yankees’ bullpen infirmary. As Empire Sports Media perfectly put it:

"With Scott Effross expected to battle for a bullpen spot, the Yankees are in a weird spot where the backend of their bullpen is going to be tested. Jake Cousins is expected to miss Opening Day against the Brewers as a result of a forearm strain, and JT Brubaker also got hurt during the Spring Training opener after a comebacker."

Seriously, what’s going on in the Yankees’ clubhouse? Is there a cursed relic buried under Yankee Stadium? Are they hydrating with bad juju instead of water? Aaron Boone once told us all the physicals came back clean—well, either he’s got a different definition of “clean,” or the Yankees' doctors are using a Magic 8-Ball for diagnostics.

Effross’s Yankees career has been a series of waiting games. We waited through 2023, hoping he'd come back strong. We waited in 2024, only to get three measly appearances in September. Now, here we are again, waiting for him to somehow hold it together for more than an inning.

At this point, Yankees fans might want to get ahead of the curve and invest in some bubble wrap stocks. It’s the only way to protect what’s left of their bullpen.

IS AUSTIN WELLS HURT OR SOFT?

Austin Wells must be hurt, right? Why else is this guy taking it easy as it's being reported. 

Wells still hasn’t taken a full swing, though he did hit in the indoor cage on Sunday. According to him, it’s not due to an injury—he’s simply “not ready yet” and is “taking it a little slower.” That sounds like an odd excuse for a 24-year-old rookie coming into his first full season, especially when his late-season performance was already a concern. Before September, Wells was hitting .259 with a .795 OPS and 12 home runs over 94 games, but then he completely fell off, batting .111 with a .411 OPS and just one home run over his final 21 games of the regular season. It didn’t get any better in the playoffs, where he managed just a .120 average and a .460 OPS.

So, what exactly is going on here? Why are we treating a young player like he needs to be eased into anything? He should be out there getting as many reps as possible, especially after how he finished last season. I can’t picture a Carlton Fisk or Thurman Munson ever handling things this way. Instead of ramping up and trying to prove himself, Wells is now reportedly going to sit out start of the Grapefruit League entirely. And we’re just supposed to believe this is all normal? Boone said Wells won't make his Grapefruit League debut until March 1 due to last year's heavy workload. That comes from the Daily News reports. Sweet Lord, have we gone soft.

Frankly, something doesn’t add up. Aaron Boone spent the other day assuring everyone that “all the physicals were good,” yet now we’ve got Cousins, Stanton, and possibly Wells dealing with mysterious issues. (Read SO ARE THE PHYSICALS GOOD OR ARE THEY NOT? ) 

Boone’s word means nothing at this point. He’s become the mouthpiece for an organization that increasingly looks like it’s trying to hide something. Are the Yankees being honest about Wells' condition? Or is this another case of Boone blindly covering for a front office that refuses to be transparent with the fans? It is my opinion that something is up.

At what point do we stop taking this manager seriously? Every year, we hear the same vague explanations, the same non-answers, and the same blind optimism, all while injuries and underperformance continue to plague the team. If Wells is hurt, just say so. If there’s something else going on, be upfront about it. But if this is just another example of Boone’s soft approach to managing, then the Yankees have a bigger problem than just one catcher sitting out of spring training.

SO ARE THE PHYSICALS GOOD OR ARE THEY NOT?

Aaron “No Championships” Boone is out here running his mouth again, proving once more why so many Yankees fans can’t stand him. His complete lack of awareness with the media is just exhausting at this point.

This time, it comes courtesy of Chris Kirschner from The Athletic, who cleverly posted two tweets just 20 minutes apart. The first one quoted Boone saying, Early returns on the Yankees’ physicals were good. 

Seems harmless, right? Well, not for long.

Because right after that, Kirschner followed up with this: Jake Cousins has a forearm strain. He’s in the middle of a no-throw. Could affect his availability for Opening Day. Clayton Beeter had a shoulder injury. He’s a little behind pace for his build-up.

So, let me get this straight—Boone just told everyone the physicals went well, yet here we are already hearing about key injuries? This is classic Boone: saying things that are immediately proven wrong. It’s embarrassing, and it happens way too often.

Cousins is expected to be an important part of the Yankees’ bullpen in 2025 after an impressive season, where he posted a 2.37 ERA with 53 strikeouts over 38 innings. As for Beeter, his right shoulder issue has slowed him down, though he’s resumed bullpen sessions. The Yankees are optimistic he’s turning the corner, but it’ll likely be a bit before he’s cleared for Grapefruit League action. While he’s mostly been a starter in the minors, he’s under consideration for a bullpen role to start the season.

At the end of the day, here’s the reality: I’m excited about the Yankees’ offseason and the pieces they’ve added, but none of it erases the fact that Boone is still the manager. And as long as he’s in charge, I don’t see a championship in our future.

Some might think I’m making too big a deal out of this, but for me, it’s just the truth—Boone doesn’t get it, never has, and never will. And honestly, it’s a disgrace that Hal Steinbrenner didn’t make a change after coming up short once again.

NICO HOERNER IS STILL BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE YANKEE INFIELD

Picture this: the Yankees' second base dilemma finally solved by none other than Nico Hoerner, a defensive wizard with the speed to match. Hoerner's got the chops to bring some much-needed stability to a position that’s been up in the air since Gleyber Torres packed his bags. This guy isn’t just a one-trick pony—he’s got a well-rounded game that’s bound to make any team happy.

Let’s talk stats. In 2024, Hoerner was a busy bee, clocking in 151 games with a respectable .273 batting average. He didn’t exactly light up the home run charts with seven dingers, but his 48 RBIs and a slick 31 stolen bases show he knows how to make things happen on the field. At 27, he’s still got plenty of mileage left, and with two years of team control plus an $11.67 million salary, he’s a pretty sweet deal for any team looking to win now.

So, what’s the catch? A potential trade scenario, cooked up by the ever-sharp minds over at Empire Sports Media, suggests the Yankees could part with prospects Will Warren, Jake Cousins, and Carlos Lagrange to bring Hoerner to the Bronx.

Will Warren, at 25, made his MLB debut in 2024. Sure, his 10.32 ERA over 22.2 innings might make you wince, but those strikeout numbers hint at some untapped potential. He’s a work-in-progress back-end starter, but hey, the Cubs could use some depth, right?

Then there’s Jake Cousins, a 30-year-old reliever who was lights out in 2024, posting a slick 2.37 ERA across 38 innings. He’s the kind of steady arm that any bullpen would love to have on standby.

And yeah, we get it—there’s no shortage of infield names being tossed around for the Yankees. Nico’s name has popped up before, and if you want the deep dive, you can check out BYB's article, COULD THE YANKEES BE IN THE MIX FOR THE CUBS' NICO HOERNER?

Trust us, it’s worth the read.

So, is Nico Hoerner the solution to the Yankees' second base conundrum? Stay tuned, because this could be the move that shakes things up in the Bronx!

YANKEES PUT CLAY HOLMES ON NOTICE & WILL GET "CREATIVE" WITH CLOSER ROLE

You can only f*ck up so many times and expect to keep your job. That's how it works in the real world, and it's finally happening in Yankee land. Clay Holmes now has 11 blown saves, and that's just not going to cut it for a team that is considered a "World Series favorite" going forward. It's about time!

The Yankees have a closer problem, and it can't be ignored anymore. Even Aaron Boone can't just brush it off completely. Now he is just dancing around the issue (read more HERE) but that is just what we expect from Baboonie. 

"In the short term, just try to put these guys in the best position to be successful," Boone said Wednesday. "How that shakes out may vary a little bit every night, but in the short term, that's the way we’ll go. Want to support Clay through this. … The reality is he's really not that far off from being the dominant guy we know he can be. But in the short term, we'll certainly be a little creative down there."

Bust out your coloring books and crayons, it's arts and crafts time boys and girls! Seriously, this is going to be a mix and match situation. Considering we are in the home stretch of the season, this experimentation is not a comfortable place to be in. So what's Baboonie going to do?

The Yankees "options" include names like Jake Cousins who I admit I am intrigued by. He has closer-like stuff but not a ton of experience in this role. He's also allowed a run in three straight appearances which can't be ignored. Every game matters right now. Tommy Kahnle and Luke Weaver could also be options but again not a lot of experience and I don't think they are as appealing of an option as Cousins. I know Mark Leiter Jr is another name floated as a possibility but I'm a hard pass there.....he and his 6.08 ERA can take a seat next to Holmes on the bench.

Last winter there were so many rumors floating around about the Yankees looking to upgrade their closer and it didn't happen. At the trade deadline they only added two relievers, there unfortunately wasn't a market to upgrade this season....and now the Yankees are scrambling to put a band aide fix on this.

Now the Yankees will get creative because they honestly don't have other options. Maybe Holmes can "earn" his closer role back like Boone hinted at but either way.....the Yankees need to make some tough decisions over the winter and reinforce the bullpen no matter what.

If we want a real "creative" solution, why not expand on the Holmes decision to also include getting rid of Brian Cashman and Boone? 

#wishfulthinking

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

WILL BOONE DOUBLE DOWN ON HOLMES AS YANKEES CLOSER?

How lucky do you feel? Honestly, I am not. The Yankees are supposed to be this World Series favorite team and Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are the only players I feel really good about. Everyone else are just a bunch of pretenders.

One of the biggest pretenders of them all is Clay Holmes. I really wish the Yankees had upgraded at closer, and I am not talking about at the trade deadline. There were no good available closers at the deadline this year. I wanted the Yankees to make a move last winter read RUMOR: YANKEES MAY BE DONE WITH HOLMES AS A CLOSER. The Yankees were looking....but it's another move that Brian Cashman couldn't make but should've.

Holmes and his 10 blown saves are a concern. Yes, I like that he induces a lot of ground balls with soft contact but when he's off, he's off and he walks too many guys. I think he could be a bridge to the closer.....but he shouldn't be the closer on a contending team.

Now Aaron Boone is trying to make the best out of a bad situation, read more HERE. He should have a proven option, but he doesn't. He's trying to sell it though....I'm just not buying it "The reality is he’s throwing the ball really well," Boone said of Holmes. "We got a lot of guys I feel like that are throwing the ball really well in certain situations. But right now, Clay’s the guy."

"Look: We'll see as we go. We have a lot of really good options [as closer]," Boone said after a really embarrassing loss to the Tigers. The Yankees should be walking through teams like the Tigers easily....but they aren't. I wouldn't say the Yankees have "a lot of really good options as closer" but I will say this though, Jake Cousins is looking pretty good and is ready for a shot. If Holmes loses his closer status, Cousins could step in. I like what I see from Cousins. He pitches with confidence and has that fighter mentality that Holmes just doesn't have. He's got a confident swag on the mound.

I think Holmes as a closer in the postseason is a major weakness. We know the Yankees have plenty weaknesses, but a guy that blows 10 saves in the regular season should no longer get to keep the title of closer. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj