The Yankees are heading into an offseason where the bullpen needs real work, and one of the biggest questions is how they’ll rebuild it around Aaron Boone, who is set to return for a 10th season as manager.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, New York has “have long eyed” two right-handed relievers on the trade market: Jeremiah Estrada of the San Diego Padres and Anthony Bender of the Miami Marlins.
Estrada, 27, dealt with elbow tendinitis, knee inflammation and a shoulder impingement this season. The shoulder issue eventually shut him down in August before San Diego’s playoff run. In 33 games, he posted a 3.48 ERA, struck out 38 hitters and finished with a 1.16 WHIP.
MLBTradeRumors.com noted that the injuries showed up in his performance, writing: “The impact of all these injuries could be measured in a bit of a dropoff in performance from Estrada’s 2024-25 seasons. The reliever had a 3.22 ERA/2.47 SIERA over 134 innings in those seasons, as well as a shaky nine percent walk rate but an elite 36.3% strikeout rate.
In 2026, Estrada’s ERA and SIERA were both 3.48 ERA, his K% dropped to a still-excellent 30.2%, and his walks spiked upward to a 12.7% rate. His average fastball velocity also lost two miles, going from 97.9mph in 2025 to 95.9mph this year.”
Estrada is arbitration-eligible in 2027 and is projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to make about $1.3 million.
Bender, meanwhile, played this season on a one-year, $2.81 million deal and is also arbitration-eligible again in 2027.
Sherman also pointed to several left-handed options around the market. He listed Brock Burke of the Cincinnati Reds, Sean Newcomb of the Chicago White Sox and JoJo Romero of the Milwaukee Brewers as “intriguing free agents,” while also naming Rangers closer Jacob Latz and Brennan Bernardino of the Rockies as possible trade targets.
For the Yankees, the relief picture already looks thin. David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough and John Schreiber are all free agents, and Fernando Cruz has a partially torn UCL that could lead to Tommy John surgery.
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