Yankees Manager Speaks On All-Star Reliever's Role For 2023 Season

February 24, 2023

Who is the New York Yankees' closer this year?

The Yankees may be taking a non-traditional approach to their bullpen strategy this season, according to recent comments from manager Aaron Boone.

While acknowledging the importance of having a reliable closer, Boone suggested that the team plans to deploy relievers based on the highest leverage situations rather than strictly adhering to inning-specific roles.

One pitcher who could benefit from this strategy is Clay Holmes, who may be used in situations that do not qualify for a save. Boone expressed his confidence in Holmes, stating that he expects the right-hander to close "a lot of games for us" but also anticipates that other pitchers will have opportunities to earn saves as well.

That's good news for Holmes, who was dominant for much of last season but experienced a stretch where he really struggled.

The rest of the bullpen could also see some shifting roles, with Michael King and Jonathan Loaisiga serving as multi-inning pitchers and other relievers such as Lou Trivino, Ron Marinaccio, Wandy Peralta, and Tommy Kahnle being deployed based on matchup-specific situations.

Despite some struggles last season and injuries that contributed to them, Holmes has the trust of his manager and finished strong in the postseason, throwing eight scoreless innings.

The twenty-nine-year-old All-Star finished the season with a sparkling 2.54 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 65 strikeouts across 63.2 innings of work and 20 saves.

With a deep and versatile bullpen, the Yankees may be able to find success navigating late-inning situations in a more dynamic and adaptable way. Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports



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