One of the New York Yankees' goals this winter will be to re-sign closer David Bednar in free agency.
Bednar, who just turned 32, shook off an uneven start to 2026, posting a 1.46 ERA and 2.33 FIP over his last 44 games. The resilient right-hander converted 35 of 39 save opportunities over the course of the season, striking out 76 batters and allowing only four home runs in 64 appearances and 69.1 innings.
However, the Yankees' bullpen needs improvement beyond retaining their closer. A lack of reliever depth forced New York to rely heavily on Bednar, Paul Blackburn, and Brent Headrick in the late innings and high-leverage situations.
While that heavy workload didn't plague Bednar down the stretch, the best way for the Yankees to keep him fresh throughout the season is to improve the depth behind him.
The good news is that the free agent market for relievers is full of talent, including Bednar himself. Not counting Bednar or Blackburn (who is also a free agent), here are four ideal bullpen targets for the Yankees.
1. Adrian Morejon
The Yankees lack power arms in the bullpen, and arguably the best free-agent reliever is a power pitcher. So signing Adrian Morejon should be just as important as bringing Bednar back.
Armed with a triple-digit sinker and a nasty changeup, the 27-year-old southpaw can use the sinker to dominate left-handed batters and the changeup to buckle righty batters. In addition to producing outstanding strikeout numbers, Morejon's arsenal generates a lot of ground balls and/or weak contact that can be converted into easy outs. The flexibility of using Morejon to either collect key strikeouts or induce a double play is something few other pitchers can offer.
Morejon's closing experience is limited, with only eight career saves, so it would be ideal to use him as a setup man for Bednar. But if Bednar leaves, perhaps the Yankees could incentivise Morejon to come to the Bronx as their closer.
2. Andrés Muñoz
There's no guarantee that Andrés Muñoz is available, as he has club options with the Mariners for both 2027 and 2028; the 2027 option is $9 million. But given that the 27-year-old endured a down year, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Seattle moves on from him.
In that case, the Yankees should absolutely take a flier on Muñoz, who complements a triple-digit fastball with a disgusting slider. Control can be a problem at times, but the Bronx Bombers desperately need more swing-and-miss in the bullpen. Muñoz offers that in spades with a 37.1% chase rate, 39.6% whiff rate, and 37.1% strikeout rate.
Despite a bloated 4.24 ERA and nine home runs allowed in 2026, the flame-throwing righty is one season removed from posting a 1.73 ERA and allowing just two homers in 64 games. His expected stats from 2026 also indicate Muñoz is due to bounce back in 2027, and the Yankees would love a resurgent All-Star reliever in the back of the bullpen.
3. JoJo Romero
Outside of Brent Headrick, the Yankees had only two other left-handed relievers: Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough. Both are hitting free agency this winter, and given Hill's ineffectiveness this year, he's almost certainly gone.
To replace Hill, New York can look at JoJo Romero as a lefty ground-ball specialist. Romero will be playing in the World Series with the Brewers, providing a great opportunity to observe his stuff. The Yankees reportedly showed interest in Romero last winter and at the trade deadline.
The 30-year-old went to Milwaukee at the deadline and posted a solid 3.38 ERA in 13.1 innings, which was slightly higher than the 3.35 ERA he recorded with the Cardinals.
However, Romero has been nails this postseason, allowing just one run on two hits and a walk while striking out nine in 5.1 innings. The one run came on a home run that resulted in the Brewers' only loss of the postseason so far. But Romero responded with two scoreless appearances against the Dodgers, allowing just one baserunner and striking out five.
Romero isn't the flashiest reliever, yet he'd be a notable upgrade over Hill and Yarbrough in the Yankees' bullpen. More importantly, bringing in Romero would decrease the load on Headrick, who can focus on being a setup man or fireman instead of being both.
4. Jonathan Loáisiga
Pursuing a reunion with Jonathan Loáisiga sounds like an uninspired move on the surface, but the Yankees never let him go because of ineffectiveness. Rather, it was because Loáisiga struggled to stay healthy.
In 2026, the 31-year-old finally enjoyed an injury-free season with the Diamondbacks and showcased his talent. Loáisiga logged a 2.42 ERA, 2.88 FIP, and 1.03 WHIP in a career-high 67 games. He doesn't strike out too many batters even with a high-velocity sinker, but he rarely walks batters (5.0% walk rate) or gives up home runs (just three in 2026).
The Yankees witnessed Loáisiga's best season in 2021, but the righty's 2026 season wasn't too far off. If the rash of injuries is behind him, he can be an effective fireman in the Bronx once again.
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