Former MLB GM Shares Answer To Yankees' Bullpen Woes

The New York Yankees have a clear need in the bullpen, but the team may not have to acquire one through a trade.

New York addressed its bullpen at last year's trade deadline, acquiring the likes of David Bednar and Camilo Doval among other relievers. However, Doval has struggled this season, so the Yankees could look for another leverage reliever.

Although many insiders have hinted at the Yankees needing to look to the trade market to acquire a reliever, former MLB general manager and now analyst Jim Bowden believes New York could look internally and promote Carlos Lagrange to be the set-up man for Bednar.

"The answer is at Triple-A, you don't need to make a trade," Bowden said on Foul Territory on June 24. "Carlos Lagrange. He throws 101, 102, whatever it is. They are putting him in high-leverage situations, they are getting him ready, he is their guy to set up Bednar."

More MLB:

• Ozzie Albies Sends Bold Message To Braves Amid Hot Start
• Nats need to lean on Luis Garcia Jr. for second-half playoff run
• Twins GM Makes Firm Statement Amid Byron Buxton Trade Rumors
• Two-Time MLB All-Star Rips Rafael Devers After Latest Antics

Bowden thinks the Yankees would rather pursue a right-handed catcher to pair with Austin Wells than spend their assets on bullpen help.

So, if Lagrange is indeed the answer for the Yankees at the bullpen, New York will likely want him in the MLB bullpen soon, so he can start getting those high-leverage situations.

Lagrange is 23 years old and shifted to the bullpen this year. In Triple-A, he is 1-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 16 games, including 11 starts. But, since shifting to a reliever, he's 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA, showing he can be an impact reliever at the next level.

Yankees Explain Decision To Shift Lagrange To The Bullpen

Although Lagrange is one of the Yankees' top starting pitching prospects, the team has shifted the flamethrower to the bullpen.

Lagrange is the Yankees' fourth-ranked prospect, and although he could be a high-leverage reliever, manager Aaron Boone said the team still views him as a starter.

"We definitely view him long term as a starter," Boone said on June 2 about the decision to move Lagrange to the bullpen. "But in the 2026 lens, there's a chance for him to potentially impact us out of the bullpen while not really disrupting anything moving forward."

Although the Yankees view Lagrange as a starter, the decision to move him to the bullpen is a way for him to make an impact at the MLB level this season.

It's electric stuff," Boone said. "The exciting thing for me was, really being around him for the first time, seeing the person and the competitor. How he works. You love to see a young guy go out there and perform and do well and relish the competition. I think we all probably had that thought of, ‘Oh, maybe he could impact us in some way, shape or form throughout the year.'"

The Yankees signed Lagrange in February 2022 for a signing bonus of $10,000.

Related: The New York Yankees' 6 Worst Trades of Brian Cashman Era

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 7:13 PM.