The Yankees are a good team. They are the class of the American League. Even good teams have flaws that will keep them from being great, and for the Yankees, it’s their bullpen.
Yankees Bullpen Woes
Camilo Doval’s Lack of Trust
At the buzzer of last July’s trade deadline, the Yankees acquired Camilo Doval from the Giants. The Doval experiment has been bad thus far. It’s not lack of stuff that’s hindering Doval, but overall lack of command. He has no idea where the ball is going. Pitching Doval in high leverage is a very tough watch. In 32.2 innings with New York dating back to last August, Doval has posted a 5.23 ERA with 38 strikeouts, 32 hits, five home runs surrendered and 19 earned runs allowed in that span. Not exactly what you want from a setup man.
In 2026 in the eighth inning of games, including Saturday’s loss to the Brewers where Doval blew a 2-1 eighth inning lead, he has posted a 9.39 ERA in 7.2 innings. The Yanks were counting on Doval to be their bridge to closer David Bednar, but time and time again Doval has proven he’s not up to the task.
Doval’s underlying numbers are not as bad as the numbers on the field. He’s posting a 3.01 xERA this season, which is in the 82nd percentile, according to Baseball Savant. His stuff is good and the velocity is fast, which is the puzzling part. There are outings where he looks un-hittable, striking out everyone, and others where the ball is like a beach ball.
Lack of High-End Depth for the Yankees
The issue for Boone and the team is the lack of high-end bullpen depth they currently have. At the back is Bednar as the closer, and he’s been consistent since coming to New York during last July’s trade deadline. The Yankees were looking for people to step up in their bullpen and Brent Headrick did just that. In 19.2 innings this season, Headrick has a 1.37 ERA, giving up just one home run — surrendered Saturday.
Headrick has earned his way into the the circle of trust in the Yankees bullpen. Tim Hill has also been good for the Yankees this season, though he was the pitcher on the mound when the Yankees lost Saturday after he had what could have been an easy out at first and instead threw the ball to third, not getting an out.
Outside of those three, it’s hard to see who can be trusted. Fernando Cruz has been wild so far this season, and has issued too many walks early this season. Jake Bird is emerging, but has shown high vulnerability in big spots, but has also been clutch in big spots and could be worth a high-leverage look. The other options, Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough are not suited for high-leverage.
External Options for the Yankees to look at at the Deadline
The trade deadline will be critical for the Yankees. To make their team a true championship contender in 2026, they are going to need to add multiple high-end pieces to the bullpen. The shorter the Yankees can make their games with high-end options, the better. GM Brian Cashman has a good track record with building bullpens in-season, and the hope for the Yankees is “CashGod” can work his magic at the deadline this season.
One option could be RHP Seranthony Domínguez from the White Sox. While the White Sox are in striking distance of a wild card spot, they are not going to hold onto trade chips on expiring deals and potentially mess up their rebuild. Dominguez provides a high-strikeout profile (11.2 K/9) and significant late-inning experience, especially in the AL East. Unlike many rentals, Domínguez is signed through 2027 ($10.5M) with a mutual option for 2028.
Another option for the Yankees could be RHP Antonio Senzatela from the Rockies. Matt Blake and the Yankees’ pitching staff excel at optimizing high-velocity righties with vertical movement, and Senzatela’s high ground-ball rate (consistently over 50%) is exactly what the Yankees look for in relievers historically because of their fit at Yankee Stadium.
Main Image Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
