Bullpen upgrades could be the Yankees' area of focus before the trade deadline
BOSTON – The old Yankee version of Carlos Rodon is so 2023 that even after a very rocky start, the veteran lefty was able to make it through five innings Saturday night.
That alone saved the Yankees from running a bullpen carousel at Fenway Park, in an 8-4 win by the Red Sox before 36,673 fans.
“Wanted to do a lot better than that. Very frustrating,’’ said Rodon, who yielded three doubles in a three-run first inning, and a two-out, two-run double by Rafael Devers in the second.
“Wish I could have figured it out a lot sooner,’’ said Rodon, who retired 10 of the last 12 batters he faced.
Still, “we had our chances to get back in the game,’’ said manager Aaron Boone, with praise for how Rodon “gutted his way through’’ a season high 109 pitches.
Having all their high leverage relievers rested and ready, the Yankees will try for another series win Sunday night, with Marcus Stroman starting.
An added shot of encouragement arrived Saturday afternoon, as Gerrit Cole – fresh off his latest, successful rehab start – walked into the visitors’ clubhouse.
There’s a good chance that Cole, coming off elbow nerve irritation, re-enters the Yankees’ rotation Thursday against the dangerous, second-place Baltimore Orioles.
Friday night’s homecoming hero, Alex Verdugo, went 0-for-5 Saturday, but Juan Soto – with two walks and a solo homer – has now reached base multiple times in a career-best 11 straight games.
So, that’s the sunny side of a losing night for the Yankees (50-23) at Fenway, where the Red Sox (36-35) still needed a four-out save from Kenley Jansen.
Yankees could seek a bullpen upgrade before the trade deadline
But if you want to look at an area that might need upgrading by the trade deadline, let’s go back to the bullpen.
When Boone was a kid, the MLB trade deadline was June 15, so rosters would’ve been basically set by now.
These days, there’s still 46 shopping days left until pencils down, as Yankees GM Brian Cashman likes to say, and there’s incentive to begin serious inquiries about available relievers.
The Yankees might still be trying to figure out what they have in lefties Victor Gonzalez and Caleb Ferguson, though Ferguson is lately proving to be far more reliable – with four strikeouts in 1.1 innings in Friday night’s win here.
This week, Miami Marlins lefty closer Tanner Scott - in his free agent walk year - was linked to interest by several contending clubs, including the Yankees, by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Scott has a 1.93 ERA in 27 games this year, though his 1.55 strikeouts-to-walks ratio is somewhat jarring.
But a lefty reliever and another swing-and-miss setup man to complement the sinker-slider closer Clay Holmes seems high on the Yanks' July wish list.
That's where the Chicago White Sox's Michael Kopech and the Oakland Athletics' Mason Miller enter the potential trade discussion, though the asking price should be sky high - especially for Miller, years away from free agency.
Examining the Yankees' internal bullpen options
You’ll recall this was a Yankee team that expected Jonathan Loaisiga to be a key setup man, only to lose him early this year to a season-ending elbow tear.
Hard-throwing Nick Burdi was the talk of spring training, but he’s had a star-crossed career due to injuries and is currently sidelined for a second time this year due to a hip injury.
Maybe right-handers Scott Effross (elbow, back surgery) and/or JT Brubaker (elbow surgery) return and contribute during the second half, but that’s still an unknown.
Meanwhile, Lou Trivino suffered a setback in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, which could take him out of consideration entirely.
In their current bullpen, it’s a tight circle of trust after Holmes, with Luke Weaver having emerged as an effective multi-inning option and Ian Hamilton providing some needed swing-and-miss.
But Tommy Kahnle has seen his velocity dip since returning from the injured list due to a shoulder issue that dates to last season.
“Hopefully, it improves a little bit, but he can still certainly pitch at this (velocity),’’ said Boone. “If he does that, regardless of whether he gets a big bump in velocity or not, he should still be able to be really successful.’’
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bullpen upgrades could be the Yankees' area of focus before the trade deadline
