The New York Yankees enter the offseason with one of the majors’ strongest bullpens from 2026, yet analysts are pushing the club to shift top prospect Carlos Lagrange from starter to full-time reliever.
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic has called for the move, noting the crowded rotation leaves Lagrange without a realistic path to the major-league starting staff. The 23-year-old right-hander has been developed as a starter since the Yankees signed him out of the Dominican Republic in 2022 for a $10,000 bonus.
The Yankees’ relief corps finished the regular season with a 3.13 ERA, ranking first among all teams according to Inside the Pen. That performance came despite the impending free agency of several contributors, including closer David Bednar and Paul Blackburn.
Lagrange stands 6-foot-7 and 248 pounds. His fastball routinely sits in the 97-99 mph range and has reached 103 mph with carry and run, a rare combination of velocity and movement for a young arm.
Early in his professional career, he overwhelmed hitters in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and Florida Complex League, racking up 106 strikeouts in 74.2 innings. Those numbers highlighted the swing-and-miss potential that has drawn attention throughout the system.
Injuries have interrupted his progress at times. A capsular sprain in his right shoulder cost him significant time in 2026 and blocked a possible major-league call-up before the trade deadline.
At Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Lagrange posted a 4.48 ERA over 64.1 innings across 19 appearances. He struck out 85 batters while walking 33, and the organization moved him into a relief role during the year to accelerate his readiness.
He returned from the shoulder issue in September for a brief outing, averaging more than 100 mph and touching 102.1 mph while striking out two in a scoreless inning. That performance underscored the velocity still available when healthy.
“Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said during spring training that they wanted to keep using Lagrange as a starter, but he currently has no path to join the big-league rotation,” Kirschner wrote. “They have several bullpen openings, and the Yankees could always use someone who can throw a 103 mph fastball. They haven’t had that level of velocity in their bullpen since they had Aroldis Chapman.”
The starting rotation already features Cam Schlittler, who finished with a 1.95 ERA, along with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Max Fried, Will Warren, Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers all competing for spots. That depth makes a permanent starter role for Lagrange unlikely in the near term.
Several other relievers are also headed to free agency, including John Schreiber, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough and Michael Fulmer. Openings in high-leverage situations create a natural fit for Lagrange’s stuff if he remains in shorter outings.
Control issues have followed him throughout the minors, with elevated walk rates at higher levels. Even so, evaluators view his fastball as major-league ready and capable of generating weak contact or strikeouts in relief.
If the Yankees re-sign Bednar or Blackburn, Lagrange could still provide an extra dimension of power that has been missing since Aroldis Chapman’s tenure. His potential to handle late-inning work makes the conversion a practical option as the club builds its 2027 staff.
The decision will depend on how the free-agent market develops and how Lagrange’s shoulder responds over the winter. For now, the combination of available bullpen jobs and limited rotation opportunities has made the shift a central topic in New York’s offseason planning.
