Gerrit Cole’s return won’t solve Yankees’ mounting danger | Klapisch
· Yahoo Sports
NEW YORK — The Yankees' clubhouse was mostly empty for the first half hour after a dramatic victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night. That was forgivable considering they’d survived another near-catastrophe in the ninth inning. The players decompressed in a video room off-limits to the media where they watched the Knicks’ stunning comeback over the Cavaliers.
One by one, the Yankees eventually returned to their lockers to make sense of a busy night in the Bronx. They squeaked by Toronto, 5-4, hours after learning Gerrit Cole was finally rejoining the rotation for the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series. And for the second time in this four-game series, the Yankees took their revenge on the same Blue Jays squad that knocked them out of the playoffs last October.
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But the win wasn’t without agita. Toronto’s late rally once again reminded the Yankees why the ninth inning has turned into no man’s land. Closer David Bednar was given a breather after back-to-back struggles against the Mets and Jays on Sunday and Monday, respectively.
But Camilo Doval, who was handed the ball in Bednar’s place, wasn’t much better.
Facing the bottom of the order with a two-run lead, Doval immediately put the first two batters on base with a walk and a single. George Springer lined out and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a sacrifice fly. Then Doval failed to cover first base on a ground ball hit to the right of first baseman Ben Rice, putting the tying and go-ahead runners on base.
It was a close call.
Kazuma Okamoto’s ground ball to Anthony Volpe ended the game, but the victory did nothing to tamp down concerns about the Yankees’ closer options. Bednar creates traffic in nearly every appearance. Doval, despite a 100-mph fastball, is uninterested in holding runners on or fielding his position. He doesn’t belong in manager Aaron Boone’s circle of trust.
None of the Yankees’ other relievers have the weapons or the experience to nail down the 27th out. Maybe Carlos Lagrange, the hard-throwing rookie currently at Triple-A, could be Plan B later this year. Or perhaps left-hander Ryan Weathers, whose fastball reaches the upper 90s. Weathers will eventually be moved to the bullpen once Max Fried comes off the injured list, which makes him a candidate to replace Bednar.
Perhaps Brian Cashman will look elsewhere entirely. The Yankees are in win-now mode, which leaves the general manager little time to act before the July 31 trade deadline.
I’ll take Door No. 3. I’m convinced whoever will close for the Yankees in the postseason isn’t here yet. That means Cashman, who bet heavily on Bednar and Doval at last year’s deadline, might have to start all over.
This would be no small project. The Yankees have been burning through closers year after year, chasing Mariano Rivera’s legacy. Clearly, no one’s measured up for very long. From 2022-25, the Yankees used Aroldis Chapman, Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver and Devin Williams. Everyone’s flaws eventually bubbled to the surface.
Now the Yankees are seeing the real Bednar, who has a 5.14 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. He has allowed at least one baserunner in 16 of his 21 appearances. There have been at least two baserunners in 10 of those appearances.
Doval, who had 108 saves with the Giants, may or may not have been given a trial run by Boone on Tuesday. The manager would not say either way, but Doval seems more interested in hitting triple digits on the radar gun than in holding runners on base or in working the corners.
Doval spoke of the adrenaline rush he experienced on Tuesday. He exceeded 100 mph in eight of the 22 pitches. Doval’s arm is a gift. Nevertheless, he’s a one-dimensional reliever who, like Bednar, chronically flirts with danger.
“I’ve had good experience closing games, it’s something I’ve done in my career. I’m always happy with the opportunity given to me,” he said through a translator. “At the same time, winning means a lot. It’s just being able to contribute.”
The good news for the Yankees is Cole’s official return on Friday. He spent 14 months rebuilding his elbow after Tommy John surgery. Cole looks bigger, beefier and more powerful in his shoulders.
Even without direct involvement with the bullpen, Cole will lift the pitching staff’s spirits and spread the goodwill throughout the clubhouse. Like Aaron Judge, Cole is a leader who raises the confidence level of those around him without giving speeches.
Cole is the perfect guy to kick off the showdown series against the Rays this weekend.
But the Yankees will have Cole, who topped out at 99.6 mph in his final rehab start, on a strict pitch count, making a six-inning start the maximum. That means the bullpen will inevitably come into play.
That’s not a comforting thought. Whether Boone calls for Bednar or Doval or anyone else, the ninth inning will arrive with a warning: Enter at your own risk.
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