Alexander Wilson
The New York Yankees do not need to pretend Carlos Lagrange is ready to be dropped into a big-league rotation tomorrow.
They also do not need to ignore the obvious shortcut sitting in front of them.
I would rather see the Yankees test Lagrange in short bursts before paying July prices for another reliever. If the bullpen keeps looking like the roster’s thinnest championship piece, a 100 mph fastball from inside the system should at least force the conversation.
Brian Cashman told Joel Sherman the Yankees have had ongoing discussions about moving Lagrange to the bullpen at some point this season, which is exactly the kind of internal swing they should explore before the deadline market starts demanding real prospect capital.
Lagrange does not need the starter label right now
The Yankees can still like Lagrange as a starter long term, and the 6-foot-7 right-hander has a real arsenal built around a four-seamer, changeup, slider, and sweeper.
The problem is timing, because championships do not wait around for a prospect to smooth every rough edge. Lagrange’s fastball has averaged 99.1 mph in Triple-A, he has been living near a 30 percent strikeout rate, and he already owns the fastest Triple-A pitch of the season at 102.8 mph.
The control concerns are real, plain and simple, and the walks are why this is not a clean starter promotion. But in one-inning bursts, the calculus changes: let the fastball jump, let the slider play harder, and stop asking him to navigate a lineup three times when the immediate need is getting three outs in the sixth, seventh, or eighth.
The bullpen needs a different kind of swing
The Yankees already have names in the bullpen, but the trust level has been uneven. David Bednar has had traffic issues, Camilo Doval has been volatile despite the premium velocity, and the current mix has not felt like the kind of late-inning monster a contender wants in October.
Lagrange becomes interesting because he gives the Yankees something they otherwise might have to buy in July, a power arm with bat-missing stuff who can change the shape of a bullpen if the role is simplified.
The risk is obvious, since young relievers with control questions can turn a clean inning into a traffic jam fast. Still, the Yankees have enough traditional depth arms, and what they need is a leverage arm who can miss bats when the game starts tightening.
Lagrange might not be the finished product yet, but he does not have to be if the Yankees need a real internal bullpen swing. He may be the most tempting one they have.
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