With the bullpen being the New York Yankees‘ Achilles heel, the team is desperate searching for solutions. Their issues have gotten to the point where the the organization is changing the role for one of their top prospects.
Jack Curry of YES Network reports that the Yankees will be moving pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange to relief for the rest of the season. With the rotation getting healthy and the bullpen being a sore spot, this move offers a shorter path to the big leagues in 2026.
Lagrange, 23, currently ranks as the Yankees No. 4 prospect and the No. 75 prospect on MLB Pipeline. The right-hander boasts a fastball that’s clocked up to as high as 102.8 MPH with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.
Yankees Bullpen Woes Leads to Role Change for Carlos Lagrange
On the surface, it doesn’t seem like the Yankees’ bullpen is a problem. They enter play on June 2 ranked 10th in ERA (3.95) and 12th in FIP (3.89). But what these run prevention metrics don’t reveal is when the bullpen has struggled.
Yankees relievers rank 26th in win probability added. At -0.77, the unit has contributed more to losses than wins in their first 59 games.
The two biggest culprits have been Camilo Doval (-0.84) and David Bednar (-0.46). The Yankees are relying on the two right-handers to provide quality innings near the end of games and they’ve come up short. What makes it worse is New York added them to strengthen their bullpen in the previous two deadlines.
With Doval and Bednar struggling, the Yankees have to consolidate their best arms and figure out a plan. Moving Lagrange to relief, even just for one season, is one of those options. There isn’t a path to starting for the right-hander currently, but the bullpen’s issues have opened another one.
This probably shouldn’t be a long-term move for the organization. The right-hander has had some uneven results in Triple-A as a starter, with a 4.41 ERA and a 29.0% strikeout rate and an 11.5% walk rate.
Lagrange is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft for the first time after the season, although this action indicates they have a role in mind. He’ll be on the 40-man roster long before November as part of the roster churn with the bullpen.
Where the Yankees Can Go to Improve their Pen?
FanGraphs gives the Yankees the highest fWAR by starting pitchers (7.6) and second-highest for position players (12.4). With the best rotation situation and one of the top lineups in baseball, addressing the bullpen becomes general manager Brian Cashman’s primary mandate at the trade deadline.
There isn’t much separation in either league’s Wild Card race, so it will a while before teams begin to contemplate selling. It will still be at least eight weeks before New York can land an impact reliever to reinforce this struggling bullpen.
In the meantime, they’ll have to rely on their internal options. They’ll need better performances from their late-inning arms, including Doval and Bednar. If not, there could be some role changes while the Yankees try to stay in the American League East division race.
The health of the rotation could also factor in, as Ryan Weathers could be bumped out of the rotation when Max Fried returns from injury. Weathers gives the Yankees some velocity from the left side, averaging just under 96 MPH as a starter.
Once the Yankees shore up the bullpen, they should be in great position for a deep postseason run.
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