Yankees trade deadline: Rockies' Jake Bird on radar as relief search continues

New York Times

28-07-2025

NEW YORK — It was reality, but mixed with a bit of wishful thinking. New York Yankees closer Devin Williams had just dominated the ninth inning with a pair of strikeouts in a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday at Yankee Stadium. He was the last of four relievers to combine to throw 3 1/3 scoreless frames to bolster a good-enough performance from starting pitcher Carlos Rodón — and to give the Yankees' front office something to think about as it approaches Thursday's trade deadline with two deals already under their belts and likely more to come.
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After all, Yankees relievers had been struggling mightily. Going into Sunday, the unit had a 5.30 ERA — the 28th-best mark in baseball — since June 13, a span over which the Yankees had gone a miserable 14-23. Maybe the showing from Williams, Jonathan Loàisiga, Luke Weaver and Tim Hill was going to be enough to show general manager Brian Cashman and crew that the Yankees don't need as much help as it might seem.
'Sometimes,' Williams said, 'all you need to do is have some things go your way one time and be able to get on a little bit of roll there.'
The Yankees hope Williams is right.
They won't, however, have short-term memory.
Multiple league sources told The Athletic that the Yankees were still exploring trades that would net them a reliever, after they boosted their infield by acquiring Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals on Saturday and adding Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday.
A name to add to the ever-growing list of candidates they have reportedly been eyeing, according to sources: righty Jake Bird of the Rockies.
Several Yankees came away impressed with Bird when he had two appearances against them in Colorado in late May, one player told The Athletic. The 29-year-old has the strikeout ability (10.5 per nine innings) that the Yankees surely would appreciate. Going into Saturday, Bird also had a 4.05 ERA (but also a 3.09 FIP) in 44 appearances. He won't be a free agent until after the 2028 season, and it's unclear how willing the Rockies would be to part with him if he could be part of future success.
Jake Bird was PUMPED UP after recording three straight strikeouts to strand the bases loaded for the @Rockies 😤 pic.twitter.com/eVNB4haf31
— MLB (@MLB) June 7, 2025
The Yankees' bullpen will get a boost soon from several returning arms. Mark Leiter Jr. (fibular head stress fracture) and Fernando Cruz (oblique strain) are on the mend, and Yerry De Los Santos recently returned from the injured list. The Yankees traded reliever Clayton Beeter as part of the Rosario deal, sapping some of the Yankees' depth.
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The Yankees also face another question: How hard should they push before the deadline? In adding McMahon and Rosario, they addressed a problem at third base. But they needed to do something at the position, where they had received some of the worst offensive production in the league. The Yankees (57-48) currently sit 5 1/2 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East, and just 1 1/2 games up in the wild-card standings. Does the front office still consider their roster upgradable enough to return to the World Series? Or just enough to squeak into the playoffs?
Manager Aaron Boone said the way he rolled out the Yankees' relief unit Sunday — and how it performed — was just what the team imagined would happen when it's at its best.
'That's what you want it to look like right there,' he said.
In a few days, however, expect a different face (or two) in the bullpen as the Yankees make moves.
(Top photo of Devin Williams celebrating after closing out Sunday's win: John Jones / Imagn Images)