Yankees Must Make This Bullpen Move to Add Elmer Rodriguez to the Roster

The Yankees can fix their bullpen woes by getting creative.

The Yankees should promote Elmer Rodríguez to their starting rotation. But first, they need to move someone to the bullpen. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Once Max Fried returns, it's clear that Ryan Weathers will be headed to the Yankees bullpen. Will Warren is the only other name that makes sense to be ousted from the rotation, but his innings have already been built up, and the Yankees probably want him to eclipse the 162 1/3 innings he had last year.

Weathers will be a welcome upgrade to that bullpen, especially after his brilliant night against the White Sox on Thursday, where he corrected the course of his season after a string of rocky starts. Weathers had a three-outing stretch since May 30, during which he allowed 16 earned runs in 18 innings.

During that time, he allowed seven home runs, with over two homers in each of those starts. The most he allowed in a game was three, and that was against the Athletics.

Ryan Weathers hasn't been as consistent lately as he was at the start of the 2026 MLB season. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Against the White Sox, Weathers pitched 6 1/3 brilliant innings of one-run ball. He struck out eight and allowed one earned run. That came after a home run early in the game. Weathers was almost unhittable after giving up that one long ball.

Despite that performance, it might be in the Yankees' best interest to keep Weathers on track for a bullpen move—especially if they want to clear room for a potential Elmer Rodríguez call-up.

Moving Ryan Weathers to Yankees' bullpen

While Weathers's talents are best suited for the starting rotation, his best role on this particular Yankee team would be in the bullpen. The issue is that the Yankees won't see Fried for a few weeks, so until then, somebody will have to start.

The best answer to that is calling up Rodríguez. While Rodríguez would be a downgrade in Weathers' rotation slot, he would upgrade the bullpen in a big way. Right now, it's clear that two of their pen arms, Jake Bird and Camilo Doval, don't deserve much of the Yankees' trust anymore.

Both have been awful since being traded to the Yankees. Bird has a 7.13 ERA in 24 innings since being traded over after the deadline. Lately, he can't seem to come into a game without allowing an earned run.

Jake Bird's poor performance is one of the many reasons why the Yankees might want to shake up their bullpen. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Doval has been a little better, but the issue with him is that he has been trusted with high-leverage innings. In the same time frame as Bird, he has a 4.96 ERA in 45 1/3 innings. This season, he has allowed 15 earned runs in 26 2/3 IP.

The Yankees may hold on to Doval a little while longer based on his stuff, but there's no reason that Bird should be on the roster. If the Yankees call up Rodríguez, they can send Bird right back down to Triple-A and have Weathers take his spot in the bullpen.

It would mean they have three long relievers in there, but, for all the complaints about how both Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn don't make sense in there together, they've at least been better than their two deadline acquisitions from last season.

The issue with Rodríguez is that, while he does own a 3 ERA in the minors this year, his most recent starts have not been great. In his last 29 2/3 innings, he has allowed 14 earned runs. He has also given up three homers and walked 17 batters.

Those walks have been juiced up a bit, though, during a start against the Phillies' Triple-A team. He walked six that game.

Still, the potential is there for Rodríguez to help the Yankees, and that all begins with moving Weathers to the bullpen. What do they have to lose by trying?