With Spring Training nearly here for the New York Yankees, they are looking to put the finishing touches on their roster before the start of the season.
It has been a very busy offseason for the Yankees. After reaching the World Series for the first time in a long time last year, the franchise is motivated to get back there in 2025.
This winter, the Yankees have had a solid offseason. Despite losing Juan Soto in free agency, New York was able to make some notable additions and upgrades to different areas of the team.
Compared to 2024, the Yankees are arguably a more well-balanced team both in terms of pitching and the lineup than in 2025, when they were a bit more reliant on their stars.
One area of the team that has seen some significant change this winter is the bullpen for New York. Both Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone have always prioritized having a strong bullpen, especially in October. Last year, the unit was strong, but it’s looking good for this coming season.
New York was able to acquire star closer Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers to once again give them an All-Star caliber pitcher to finish off games. The closer spot became a bit of an issue for the Yankees down the stretch in 2024.
Clay Holmes was in the role for a majority of the season, but when he began to struggle it was Luke Weaver who stepped up and performed well.
Now, New York will be able to slide Weaver back into the setup role leading to Williams to close out games. If Weaver performs like he did last year, this could be the best 1-2 punch out of a bullpen in baseball.
While the 8th and 9th innings should be set for the Yankees, they recently did fill what was a massive need in their bullpen. New York has reportedly agreed to re-sign left-hander reliever Tim Hill to a one-year deal with a club option for 2026.
The addition of the southpaw last year was a great one for New York. After being traded by the Chicago White Sox, Hill totaled a (3-0) record and a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings pitched. Furthermore, in 8.2 innings of work in the postseason, he allowed just one run.
Adding the veteran lefty back to the bullpen could be the final piece of the puzzle for the Yankees in that area. Hill pitched extremely well after coming over and having him re-sign was important for New York this winter.
