TAMPA – The Yankees spend a lot of money, yet they always avoid costly free agent relievers. Such was the case again this offseason, as they didn’t sign any expensive bullpen arms while talent flew off the board. That’s generally been their preferred method, as the Yanks haven’t committed bi g money to a free agent reliever since Zack Britton ($39 million) and Adam Ottavino ($27 million) signed three-year contracts in January 2019. It’s a noticeable approach for a club that annually boasts one of baseball’s highest payrolls – the Yanks are set to surpass $300 million for the third straight season – and one that has gotten more attention with several bullpen spots up for grabs this spring. “I don’t know if it’s an approach by us,” Brian Cashman countered when asked why the Yankees have been averse to pricey pacts for relievers last week. “We had conversations with a lot of different players [this past offseason].” Conversations, of course, do not equate to a legitimate pursuit on the open market. Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, two members of the Yankees’ bullpen last season, can tell you that, as neither received a formal offer from the club despite check-ins from Cashman over the offseason. Both had some rough stretches in 2025, which certainly played a part, but the Yankees also didn’t extend an offer to Brad Keller despite having some interest in him as well. Williams signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Mets, while Weaver received a two-year, $22 million deal from the crosstown rival. Keller inked with the Phillies for the same terms that Weaver got. Cashman also said during the Winter Meetings that the Yankees were not in on Edwin Díaz, who now has the record for average annual value for a closer after signing a three-year, $69 million contract with the Dodgers. Other relievers who signed for average annual salaries of $10 million or this past offseason include, but are not limited to, Robert Suarez (3 years, $45 million, ATL), Raisel Iglesias (1 year, $16M, ATL), Ryan Helsley (2 years, $28M, BAL), Tyler Rogers (3 years, $37M, TOR) and Pete Fairbanks (one year, $13M, MIA). Despite the Yankees’ status as inactive players at the top of the bullpen market, one agent, granted anonymity, told the Daily News that their agency didn’t operate as if the Bombers wouldn’t be interested in their upper-shelf relievers over the winter. Cashman, meanwhile, suggested that timing, in addition to budgetary constraints and concerns over on-field fit, factored into how the Yankees’ constructed their bullpen the last two offseasons. “Two years ago, we were waiting a long time for the [Juan] Soto situation,” Cashman said. “That held up a lot of money, and I’m sure some relievers came off the board. This winter, we were dealing with the [Cody] Bellinger situation. That took a while. And it’s not like you have an infinite amount of money to deploy. “There’s not an organizational policy, I guess to answer your question, about ‘don’t pay relievers a certain amount of money.’ We’ve had our fair share over the course of my years here that we’ve paid a lot of money to, whether it’s the closer role or setup role or what have you. It’s just how it shook out this winter, but it’s not any policy, per se.” As Cashman said, the Yankees have had expensive relievers in semi-recent memory. Britton, Ottavino, Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller come to mind, but they were all signed prior to the 2019 season. In 2025, Williams made $8.6 million in his final year of arbitration. The Yankees also traded for David Bednar over the summer; the closer is making $9 million in his final year of arbitration this season. Camilo Doval, another summer acquisition, is the Yankees’ next highest-paid reliever this season, as he earned $6.1 million in the arbitration process over the winter. Instead of adding established, high-leverage arms to an incumbent collection that also includes Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill atop of the depth chart, the Yankees took fliers on several cheaper, unproven relievers over the offseason. The hope is that the team’s well-regarded pitching department, led by Matt Blake and Sam Briend, can turn some of those pitchers into lottery tickets, a strategy that worked well with Weaver and Clay Holmes, among others, in the past. This year’s group of projects features Cade Winquest, the Yankees’ first Rule 5 Draft pick in 14 years; Angel Chivilli, a young flame-thrower acquired from the Rockies after posting a 7.06 ERA last season; Osvaldo Bido, a passed-around waiver claim; and a few non-roster invitees, including Rafael Montero and Dylan Coleman. Swingmen Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn were also re-signed to small-money deals and will slot into the bullpen if the Yankees’ rotation avoids more injuries. Holdovers Jake Bird, Brent Headrick and Yerry De los Santos are also competing for jobs with camp underway. Cashman also suggested that top starting pitching prospects Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodríguez could impact the bullpen. The Yankees would like to keep the duo on a starter’s routine, but the general manager also said, “You gotta rob Peter to pay Paul at times.” “A lot of major league starters historically break in out of the pen when they get their feet wet,” Cashman added. At some point, the Yankees will spend significantly on a reliever again. Perhaps the team’s next offseason will snap the streak, as Bednar is slated for free agency. Or maybe their current bullpen composition will force the Yankees to splurge on relievers – and further deplete their farm system – prior to the trade deadline for the second straight year. For now, however, they seem ready to roll with a pen that is economical but largely untested. “We do think we have a lot of talented players,” Cashman said. “There’s a lot of quality, talented arms with various levels of experience, some raw.” ...read more read less