One free agent that the Yankees were linked to this winter who they have yet to sign is Michael Kopech, who is still waiting to call a place home for 2026.
Jon Heyman linked these two parties a month ago while Julian Guilarte reported during the winter meetings that New York displayed interest in the hard-throwing right-hander.
For a bullpen that finished with the second-worst fastball velocity last season, Michael Kopech would be a strong fit if he’s healthy and humming, but there’s a good amount of risk in his profile.
There is a pretty consistent theme this winter of acquiring project relievers and maybe the Yankees should lean into it one more time before the offseason comes to a close.
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Why Michael Kopech Makes a Ton Of Sense For the Yankees
The Yankees have had an interesting solution to solving last year’s bullpen woes; throw a bunch of lottery tickets and hope that one (or more) stick in the big leagues.
Between additions such as Angel Chivilli and Cade Winquest or internal options like Brent Headrick and Jake Bird, there is a lot of faith the organization is placing on their ability to develop relief pitching.
New York has earned some benefit of the doubt there, turning the likes of Tim Hill and Jake Cousins into key weapons for them out of the bullpen en route to a World Series and finding Fernando Cruz for scraps in 2025.
That being said, why not throw another lottery ticket into the mix with tons of upside and see if they too can stick with this bullpen?
Kopech throws hard and gets ton of ride on his fastball, which he throws a ton due to its effectiveness when he attacks the zone which can be an issue for him.
Last year was not a good one for him as his 2.45 ERA masked a hideous 24.5% BB% in 11 innings pitched, but injuries seemed to cause these issues which is why I’m not too concerned about his short-term outlook in the bullpen.
He has a career 3.89 ERA, 3.76 FIP, and 3.79 xFIP with a 19.5% K-BB% in 136.2 IP as a reliever, making him an above-average option out of the bullpen.
This includes the incredible highs of 2021, but also the pitiful lows of 2023 when he was mostly a starter and this past season where he couldn’t figure out where the ball was going due to his constant nagging body issues.
With pitchers and catchers in camp, I’d expect Michael Kopech to sign soon; he probably does not want to wait for an offer that isn’t coming any longer when his on-field performance could tank without ample ramp-up time.
The Yankees may not have to over-extend themselves in order to land Kopech, who might not even have a Major League offer to take at the moment.
Perhaps he’d prefer to pitch for a worse team with a less crowded pitching depth chart because opportunities are important to free agents looking for prove-it deals, but the Yankees’ bullpen isn’t particularly elite.
A strong Spring Training from Kopech would grant him favor over guys like Headrick or Bird who have Minor League options and it probably gets him the edge over the likes of Cade Winquest as well.
It’s not a move that seriously improves the floor of that bullpen, Michael Kopech gives the Yankees some more velocity and more upside when they’ve been chasing upside all winter.
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