Coming off their World Series appearance, the New York Yankees are a much deeper team than they were last year despite losing Juan Soto to their crosstown rivals.
Allocating the resources set aside for the star slugger and using them elsewhere has created a stronger rotation and lineup that could keep the Yankees atop the American League.
One of the notable additions, albeit via a trade, is star closer Devin Williams.
Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers, the two-time All-Star now gives New York a dominant shutdown man for the ninth inning, allowing manager Aaron Boone to utilize Luke Weaver in different high-leverage situations that might arise over the course of a game.
Just those two factors alone makes the Yankees’ bullpen look much better on paper, and that’s not even considering the others in the mix for a role who could emerge as rising stars.
An established player New York is hoping returns to his past form is Jonathan Loaisiga.
The flamethrower has been crushed by injuries the past two years, making only 20 outings in 2023 and 2024 combined with just three coming last season.
He underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow in 2023, and after suffering from a flexor strain in 2024, his campaign ended when he had to get surgery to repair his UCL.
Because of that, Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors is circling Loaisiga as someone who could be moved to the 60-day injured list ahead of the regular season getting underway.
However, he’s also bullish the right-hander can avoid receiving that designation.
“It was reported in December that the Yankees are expecting him to be in the bullpen by late April or early May, so he’ll only end up on the 60-day IL if he suffers a bit of a setback,” he wrote.
Much of that reasoning has to do with Loaisiga undergoing UCL surgery in April 2024, putting his return date potentially right at the 12-month recovery timetable that normally comes from that procedure.
If the Yankees do have to move him to the 60-day injured list, that would mean they couldn’t activate him until roughly the end of May since the clock doesn’t start until Opening Day.
Getting Loaisiga back in this new-look bullpen would be huge for New York.
When he’s healthy, he’s proven he’s one of the top relief arms in the league with a 2.96 ERA across his 107 outings in 2021 and 2022 when he became a full-time player for the Yankees.
Loaisiga will be someone for fans to keep an eye on.
If he suffers no setback, then there’s a chance he can avoid the long-term injured list and get back to the mound and become a featured part of this bullpen in 2025.
