Bullpen Battle for the Ages: Two Rookies Engage in Strong Competition for Coveted Spot

While the Yankees have made some shiny new upgrades to their bullpen with Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz, they’ve also shown the ability to develop from within and an active willingness to give rookies a shot. Last season we saw Luis Gil get a crack at the rotation, an opportunity he ran with all the way to a Rookie of the Year award, and a year before that they developed both Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez into reliable bullpen weapons who became trade chips for Juan Soto.

Their pipeline of prospects at the upper levels of the Minors has dried up a bit with their trades and promotions, but we could see some more pitchers graduate into bigger roles in 2025. With Spring Training just a few weeks away, Clayton Beeter and Will Warren could find themselves in a battle for a final spot in that bullpen, with both flashing some upside in their brief MLB stints.

Yankees Might Have Low-Cost Bullpen Options in Two Rookie Right-Handers

If the Yankees want to continue building a core that can keep this team in contention for the long haul, they’ll need to develop more low-cost pitching that can either step into a bigger role next year or be used in a trade. During Spring Training, they were able to have at three-man battle between Luis Gil, Clayton Beeter, and Will Warren for the final spot in the rotation, and while all three were impressive in Spring, 2025 will test their long-term viability.

Beeter and Warren have plenty to prove in 2025, with both being on the 40-man roster and having undefined roles on the roster since they’ve both come up as starters. The rotation is set, with Marcus Stroman slotting in as the sixth starter and the Yankees looking to try and overcome some geographical hurdles to land Roki Sasaki as well. Relievers are always needed though, and the Yankees have already tinkered with moving Clayton Beeter into the bullpen.

On Hot Stove earlier this winter, Matt Blake spoke highly of Beeter, who the Yankees acquired in a trade with the Dodgers that saw Joey Gallo head to Los Angeles. His lack of arsenal depth and command make him an excellent bullpen candidate, which improved as a reliever because he could work exclusively out of the stretch and see an uptick in his velocity.