The New York Yankees are in the quest for a World Series title to end their 16-year drought. But before that, they need to solve their biggest problem— the bullpen void. The Yankees’ bullpen had ranked 23rd in the MLB standings with a 4.37 ERA last season. In the offseason, Brian Cashman had remained mostly quiet, entering the 2026 season with mostly the same core and an uncertain bullpen.

By the end of 2025, the Yankees saw the departures of relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver alongside Mark Leiter Jr. and Ian Hamilton. Last season, Cashman added Williams and Weaver to bolster the Yankees’ bullpen, which ultimately backfired. This season, he has not signed anyone yet. Ahead of Opening Day, in conversation with the NY Post, former Yankee Adam Ottavino warned Cashman of the existing bullpen void.

“I think Devin Williams pitched a lot of big-time innings for this club, and he hasn’t really been replaced. Same with [Luke] Weaver. Weaver was a leverage guy who pitched more than one inning at a clip, often. I know they have the arms, but just ’cause they have the arms doesn’t guarantee anything in terms of success out there in big spots,” opined Ottavino.

“So, if one of their Big 3 were to falter in Doval, Bednar, and Cruz, they don’t really have somebody that’s super solid to step in there right now. That would be a problem that they’d have to address.”

Cashman had added Williams to a Yankees bullpen that had finished sixth in ERA the year before. Williams, who came with a lot of expectations, had a disastrous start, posting a 9.00 ERA in April 2025. He had a difficult season with the Yankees and recorded the worst ERA of his career— 4.79 across 62 innings.

After his breakout season in 2024, Weaver, too, struggled with inconsistencies during his last season at the Yankees in 2025.

This year, Cashman has left the bullpen to Camilo Doval, followed by Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, Brent Headrick, and Jake Bird. David Bednar, scheduled to become a free agent after the 2026 season, would take up the role of closer.

But as Ottavino highlighted, in case anyone among Bednar, Doval, or Cruz were to fall short, the Yankees do not have a reliable backup arm. As we all know, even a single run can cost the Yankees a whole match.

While the bullpen might be an issue, the Yankees’ starting rotation appears to be strong, with Max Fried already named as the Opening Day starter. Moreover, the franchise is also expecting Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon’s return this season. Cole had already pitched a scoreless inning in Spring Training, the first after his recovery from the Tommy John surgery.

However, the massive void of another strong arm in the Yankees’ bullpen is a problem that Cashman must pay heed to.

The New York Yankees’ bullpen options

To add depth to their bullpen, the Yankees could always turn to one of their top pitching prospects, the young Carlos Lagrange. Primarily a starter, Lagrange was fiery in Spring Training across the four appearances he made.

He went 1-0, registering a 0.66 ERA in 13.2 innings with 13 strikeouts and a 0.73 WHIP. If he continues like this, Lagrange could add the pop to the bullpen the Yankees need. But the Yankees will have to be careful handling his transition, in case they add him to the bullpen.

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Another pitcher in Spring Training who caught manager Aaron Boone’s attention is Kervin Castro, the Venezuelan right-hander.

During the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, Castro allowed one unearned run in over 1.1 innings. In his eight Grapefruit League appearances this year, Castro logged a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings with six strikeouts.

“Kervin’s got my attention,” Boone reportedly stated. “He kind of put himself on the map last year in Triple-A. There were even a couple times where he was in play as a call-up on some on some different occasions.”

Castro’s pitching arsenal includes fastballs, sinkers, and cutters with an average of 92-94 mph. He can also throw a sweeper up to the mid-80s.

In the minor leagues, Castro went 5-1 with an ERA of 1.53 and 52 strikeouts in 35 games across 47 innings he pitched in 2025.

Though it’s ultimately up to the Yankees’ management to decide which way to go with their bullpen, it’s a problem they must address.