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3 Underrated Relievers the Yankees Should Pursue

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Jack Rotolo | Last updated Dec 8, 2025 12:30 AM ET

Now that Devin Williams is a New York Met, the New York Yankees must look to other free agent relievers to fill the gaps in their bullpen. The team has been relatively quiet so far this offseason, making no major moves other than perhaps retaining center fielder Trent Grisham on a qualifying offer. This move-less stretch should turn around soon, though, at least if New York wishes to keep next year’s roster competitive enough to make another run at the Fall Classic.

Last season, the Yankees’ bullpen was, to put it lightly, subpar. Their collective 4.37 ERA was the 8th-worst in all of the major leagues, just ahead of teams such as the Athletics, who weren’t even close to sniffing the postseason. With the prospect of signing either Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker growing more and more unlikely, the Yankees should at the very least prioritize improving one of their biggest weaknesses. They’ll have to hurry, though, because Williams isn’t the only reliever that is already off the free agent board; so, here are three relief pitchers that the Yankees should target to sign.

Three Relievers the Yankees Should Go After This Offseason

Shawn Armstrong

It’s important to note that David Bednar will likely retain his role as the closer, so the relievers that should pique New York’s interest should be setup men. Shawn Armstrong , tossing a 2.31 ERA over 74 innings with the Texas Rangers last season, fits this niche perfectly. The 35-year-old has pitched for eight different major league clubs to varying degrees of success, but his superb performance with Texas last season should put him on the radar of every team, the Yankees included.

Shawn Armstrong has ICE IN HIS VEINS

: @RangersSNtv pic.twitter.com/WtgOcMASfi

— Rangers Nation (@Rangers__Nation) September 7, 2025

Tyler Rogers

Since the Mets have already stolen a reliever from the Yankees, why not get even with their crosstown rivals? Tyler Rogers has been one of the most consistent bullpen arms in the entire league since entering in 2019, boasting a career ERA of 2.76 and a FIP of 3.31. He has thrown at least 70 innings in every season since 2021, and has just 77 career walks (over 424 career innings). With the Mets last season, he tossed 77 1/3 innings with a 1.98 ERA. If there were to be a safe bet in this year’s class of free agent relievers, Rogers is it; however, Spotrac estimates his next contract to reach about $22 million over two years, so the jury may be out for the Yankees unless they’re willing to reach further into their wallet.

Luke Weaver

The Yankees have made no indication that they would like to bring Luke Weaver back for 2026. The 32-year-old had a rough 2025 after he completely turned his career around, helping New York win the pennant as the closer the year prior, including 84 innings with an ERA of 2.89 and four postseason saves. The Yankees should take advantage of Weaver’s down year and bring him back on a short-term deal, being that they are the team that unlocked his bullpen prowess in the first place. Then again, the Yankees might prefer to take the cheaper route and bring in a plethora of middle to low-end setup men, with the hope that some of them will turn into gems under the influence of pitching coach Matt Blake.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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