Yankees have even more bullpen questions to answer after October exit

In the end, the bullpen was not quite the Yankees’ undoing.

For much of the season, the group — nearly always a strength in the past several seasons — had threatened to derail them.

The relief corps was too prone to blowups through July.

General manager Brian Cashman made several moves at the trade deadline to import enough talent for a theoretical super bullpen to form, though that degree of strength never came to fruition.

In October, the group was less deep than hoped as Luke Weaver battled a pitch-tipping issue and the adjustments that came with it.

Yet what became manager Aaron Boone’s circle of trust — David Bednar, Devin Williams, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill and Camilo Doval — combined to allow three earned runs in 20 playoff innings (1.35 ERA), a far better performance than the rotation that was dented in the division series loss to the Blue Jays.

“It’s a really talented group,” Bednar said during the wild-card series against the Red Sox. “I think we just find a way.”

Potentially losing several pieces this winter, the Yankees will have to continue to find a way.

After two generally excellent seasons, Weaver will hit free agency and should be able to cash in somewhere.

It is possible Weaver markets himself as a starter the way Clay Holmes did successfully.

Regardless, he will receive far more than the $2.5 million he earned in a club option for 2025.

Williams will hit the open market after a strange season in which he began awful, lost his closing job, stumbled but typically pitched well as a setup man and tossed 3 ²/₃ scoreless innings in the postseason.

His blemish was Nathan Lukes’ two-run single that followed Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s error in Game 4 against Toronto.

“I think overall [my season] was pretty good, to be honest,” said Williams, who finished his year with a 4.79 ERA but with particularly strong strikeout and walk rates. “At the end of the day, I think it was along the lines with what I’ve done in the past, outside of a few blowup games. I feel like I contributed.”

Williams, who acknowledged it was a “challenge” at the onset of his tenure in pinstripes, said he was open to a reunion.

In Weaver and Williams, the Yankees potentially could lose two of their most talented relief pieces.

Among the others to hit free agency are Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn.

Likely joining them is Jonathan Loáisiga, on whom the Yankees have a $5 million option.

The Yankees also own an option on Hill, who can be brought back for $3 million.

Hill would join an incumbent group led by Bednar, Doval and Cruz.

Mark Leiter Jr., who was left off the ALDS roster, would be due around $3 million in arbitration if tendered a contract.

Additional arbitration decisions include Jake Bird — who bombed after the trade from Colorado but began righting himself with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre — Jake Cousins, Ian Hamilton and Scott Effross.

Not yet eligible are relievers such as Yerry De los Santos and Brent Headrick.

There is depth within this group, but little overwhelming upside.

The highest-octane arm to get the ball to Bednar probably belongs to Doval, who was an All-Star with the Giants in 2023 and had uneven an ’24 and ’25 that included a demotion to Triple-A before being sent to The Bronx at the deadline.

The 28-year-old had all sorts of issues with the Yankees through his first six weeks with the team, in which he logged a 6.59 ERA, but his last six regular-season appearances were scoreless.

He then allowed one runs in 3 ¹/₃ October innings.

“I feel like he’s getting to a good place of being confident in his role and coming in, in different types of lanes,” pitching coach Matt Blake said of Doval, who had to adjust to a new role with the Yankees and who upped his cutter usage. “He’s confident and aggressive. That’s a good version of Camilo.”

Is that version dependable enough to return as the second-most trusted reliever in the bullpen?

The Yankees will have many questions to answer this offseason.