Red Sox Should Have Interest in Yankees Nine-Year Veteran After ALDS Loss to Rays

Throughout the 2026 season for the Boston Red Sox, the bullpen felt like one of the fewest worries in the organization.

Not to say that the Red Sox and other contending teams around Major League Baseball aren’t always going to try to improve their bullpen when they can, which the Red Sox did at the trade deadline by going after Erik Miller, going as far as moving on from Marcelo Mayer, but I personally wouldn’t view it as the biggest priority this offseason.

The biggest priority has to be adding offensive help, though there’s still an argument for adding a bullpen arm or two.

Searching for players for the Red Sox to pursue, one Sports Illustrated writer suggested New York Yankees left-hander Ryan Yarbrough.

Yarbrough has been in the league for quite some time, and while he isn’t going to wow guys, he’s proven throughout his career that he can start some games, come in as a reliever, and ultimately get outs at a decent level.

“Yarbrough is someone the Red Sox saw in 2026. He made 38 appearances with the New York Yankees and had a 3.69 ERA in 63 1/3 innings pitched. Overall, he has a 4.18 career ERA. In 2026, he made just $2.5 million in 2026. He’s a veteran with legit AL East success,” Patrick McAvoy of SI wrote.

Yarbrough was on the Yankees’ postseason roster but didn’t appear in the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays.

In the regular season, he did what was needed as a bullpen arm, posting a 3.69 ERA in 63.1 innings. For the Red Sox, there are far worse options out there to pursue.