New York Yankees Add To Bullpen Signing Rafael Montero

The New York Yankees have made another addition to their bullpen, signing Rafael Montero to a one-year deal, per multiple reports. Montero is a solid option with a ton of experience and is another player the Yankees will take a chance on in 2026. 

Brian Cashman hasn’t added a true impact arm to the bullpen all offseason and is trying to sign guys with upside in hopes that a handful of them hit. The sure-fire guys right now are David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, and Tim Hill. Other than that, it’s a bunch of hit or miss.

Yankees Land Montero

Montero is actually a really solid option for the New York Yankees. Bullpen arms are always the most unpredictable position in baseball, but Montero’s underlying metrics are encouraging. He has great stuff, but his biggest problem is walking too many batters. Last season, he had a 14.9% walk rate, which ranked in the first percentile, which is horrendous. If he can bring it down by even half, his numbers will improve dramatically.

Montero’s best pitch is a split finger, which generates a ton of swing and miss. He first implemented it in his long career last season, replacing his changeup. It generated a whiff percentage over 36, and hitters simply couldn’t touch it. The Yankees are no strangers to relievers with a good split-finger, as Cruz has a very similar repertoire.

He throws a four-seam fastball at a high rate, and also a sinker and a slider, which he throws less than 10% of the time. Pitching Coach Matt Blake will look to unlock his slider and improve his command to cut down on walks. It is a tough ask, but his goal will be to get Montero back to his 2022 form, when he was one of the better relievers in baseball. The Yankees have many relievers they hope will improve heavily this year in Cade Winquest, Angel Chivilli, and now, Montero joins them.

Will There Be Any More Moves?

I still expect the Yankees to add another arm to the bullpen with a chance to compete for an everyday role in Spring Training. One of the top names left is Michael Kopech, who would be a really fun option for them. At just 29 years old, he still has a ton left in the tank and is expected to be ready for the season after dealing with a ton of injuries last season. He is someone who can generate a ton of swing and miss, and wouldn’t be too expensive.

Outside of Kopech, another name would be Danny Coulombe. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball. The problem is, he hasn’t been able to stay on the field over the last two seasons.

He pitched in 29.2 innings in 2024 and 43 last season. It would make a ton of sense for New York to take a chance on Coulombe in hopes that he could stay healthy. As we inch closer to the start of the season, more pressure falls on Cashman to improve the roster, and time will tell if he can get more deals done.