One Trade the Yankees Could Swing That Would Change Their Bullpen

If there's one thing the New York Yankees have to do this offseason, it's fortify their bullpen. Over the years, they've been great at finding lottery tickets like Paul Blackburn and Clay Holmes and turning them into high-leverage relievers.

Last year was defined by relievers stepping up, which was a testament to how great the organization is at developing arms. It's probably the best job they've done in that department since their 2024 World Series run, when they had relative unknowns like Jake Cousins and Luke Weaver get high-leverage innings.

As great as they have been at developing lesser-known arms, the Yankees should still look for bullpen help. If the next Blackburn doesn't emerge next season, they'll be in serious trouble finding someone to bridge the gap to David Bednar if their closer returns.

Not every name they look to has to be a superstar, either. Adrian Morejon is available this winter, but adding to their bullpen doesn't mean they have to look at the A-tier guys. One arm they could try to swing a trade for is actually an old friend. That's hard-throwing former top prospect Luis Medina, whom they once sent to the Athletics for Frankie Montas.

Examining Luis Medina's tools

Medina is coming off of his best season in the big leagues. He pitched in 73 innings and had a 3.08 ERA. He posted 11.47 K/9 and 4.81 BB/9. He also did a great job limiting the long ball. Medina had an .86 HR/9 last season.

The 27-year-old righty was one of the hardest throwers in the majors. He averaged 97.5 MPH on his fastball, which was in the 91st percentile in baseball. His best pitch, though, was probably his slider. It was his third-most-used pitch, and he held batters to a .077 average and .077 slugging percentage. Medina also had a 46.7% whiff rate on the pitch.

Medina was dealin' 💪 pic.twitter.com/M5LacE762J
— Athletics (@Athletics) June 30, 2024

One big plus with Medina is that he won't be a free agent until at least 2030. The Yankees would have him under control for the next few years. If the Athletics do end up dealing him, it's an instance where they're sending over a player who could be at his highest value after the year he just had.

Of course, if the Yankees swing a trade like this and lose Bednar, Medina can't be their only acquisition.

Even with Bednar returning, they need another high-end reliever, and Medina would essentially be an arm who gets the Yankees to the later innings. His best use would be if a starter leaves early with guys on the bases. He likely won't become a future closer because he walks too many guys.

Still, Medina has value in this pen. He can eat up quality innings in the 5th and 6th innings.

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