Brian Cashman Says Yankees’ Bullpen Still ‘Finding Their Way’ After Deadline Moves

BOSTON — New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Friday the team’s bullpen, bolstered at the trade deadline, remains a work in progress and must “click in” as the regular season draws toward October.

Cashman spoke after a 4-1 road win over the Boston Red Sox in which Fernando Cruz, Devin Williams and David Bednar combined to preserve the victory. Cruz allowed a solo home run in the seventh, Williams navigated a leadoff single in the eighth and Bednar closed out the ninth for his 23rd save of the season.

"Some worked out more than others," Cashman said of his club’s deadline additions. "I certainly felt good [about] improving the roster from the deadline, but again, some have impacted us in a more positive way and others are still finding their way. But we got a little time to see if we can have it click in. In the meantime, we just got to win our games regardless of performance." Manager Aaron Boone echoed the need for consistency, saying, "We have the pieces down there, we have the guys down there capable of shutting the game down. It’s just about doing it consistently."

Of the three relievers acquired at the deadline, Bednar has been the clearest success, taking over the closer’s role and converting saves. Camilo Doval has struggled to adjust in his new environment, entering Friday with a 6.59 ERA in 16 games since coming to New York, and Jake Bird was demoted to Triple-A after surrendering six earned runs across three appearances and has not returned to the big-league roster.

The Yankees bullpen entered Friday with a 4.54 ERA for the season, the seventh-highest mark in Major League Baseball. Cashman pointed to the collective track records of the bullpen’s arms when asked what gives him confidence the group can turn around its results with the season’s stretch run imminent. "A lot of talent," he said. "A lot of guys have done great things over the course of many years. I know what their capabilities are. We’re going to let it play out. But certainly hope."

Friday’s win included offensive and defensive notes beyond the bullpen performance. Aaron Judge hit a first-inning home run, his 19th provided in the opening frame this season and a new major-league single-season record; Judge had previously shared the mark with Alex Rodriguez and his own 2024 total. Giancarlo Stanton started in left field in front of the Green Monster, his fourth start at the position this year, marking another instance of the Yankees adjusting outfield alignment late in the campaign. Jazz Chisholm Jr. stole two bases in the game (and was later thrown out trying for third), giving him 30 steals on the season and leaving him two home runs shy of a potential 30–30 campaign.

Cashman’s comments reflected a balancing act facing front offices late in the season: improving relief depth at the trade deadline while managing the short-term risk that new pitchers need time to acclimate. The Yankees made bullpen reinforcements to address late-inning instability, but the results have varied. Bednar has steadied the ninth inning, while Doval and Bird have yet to provide the consistent support the club envisioned when they were acquired.

With the postseason approaching, the Yankees will monitor workloads and results as they pursue more consistent late-inning production. For now, Cashman stressed patience tempered by urgency: "We got a little time to see if we can have it click in," he said, "but we've also got to win our games regardless of performance."

The team continues its regular-season schedule with an eye on shoring up the bullpen’s reliability through the final weeks and into the postseason, while relying on veteran contributors and recent deadline additions to deliver the outcomes management expects.