The New York Yankees watched their relief corps emerge as one of the few bright spots of a disappointing 2026 campaign, but three key relievers are walking out the door, and the team is scrambling to rebuild. The team now faces uncertainty with David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, and Tim Hill entering free agency. While Bednar has received a qualifying offer and the team is reportedly considering bringing back the other two, the lack of concrete decisions leaves plenty of room for concern. And as the Bronx Bombers explore their next move, a familiar face who delivered effective results with the Arizona Diamondbacks has emerged as a potential target.

However, rebuilding a bullpen around a pitcher with a history of injuries could be a gamble, even for a franchise that desperately needs stability in the late innings. The Yankees appear willing to consider that risk as they weigh a reunion with their former reliever, hoping his recent success can outweigh the durability concerns that have followed him throughout his career.

“According to Edgard Rodriguez of La Prensa, a Nicaraguan paper, the Yankees have made an offer to RHP Jonathan Loaisiga. The article states that Loaisiga is seeking a two-year deal around $16-$20 million and that the Yankees are open to that salary range for the bullpen arm,” Yankees Worldwide shared via X.

Jonathan Loáisiga spent eight seasons with the Yankees from 2018 to 2025, transitioning from a promising starting pitcher prospect into a dominant, high-leverage setup man whose tenure was ultimately derailed by recurring arm injuries. Across 193 regular-season appearances in pinstripes, he compiled a 19–12 record with a 3.54 ERA and 232 strikeouts in 249.1 innings.

Signed out of Nicaragua in 2016, Loáisiga debuted on June 15, 2018, tossing five scoreless innings against Tampa Bay. He split time between the rotation and bullpen over his first three years, making 11 career starts before New York moved him permanently to relief to protect his arm.

In 2021, emerged as one of baseball’s premier late-inning relievers in 2021, posting a 2.17 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 9–4 record across 57 appearances. Relying on a heavy, upper-90s sinker, he recorded 18 holds and five saves while throwing a career-high 70.2 innings.

However, injuries got the better of him very soon. Right shoulder inflammation sidelined him for nearly two months in 2022, and right elbow inflammation, which required surgery to remove a bone spur, limited him to just 17.2 innings in 2023.

Just three appearances into the 2024 campaign, Loáisiga further suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and underwent season-ending internal brace surgery. The Yankees re-signed him to a one-year deal for 2025 with a $5 million club option for 2026, but he struggled upon his May return (4.25 ERA in 29.2 innings) before a right flexor strain ended his season in August, prompting New York to decline his option.

However, his 2026 stint with the D-Backs changed the equation. His 67 appearances and 67 innings pitched in 2026 marked his healthiest workload since throwing 70.2 innings for the Yankees in 2021. While Loáisiga didn’t post massive strikeout numbers in 2026, his sinker and four-seam fastball hovered above 97 mph. He ranked in the top 10 percentile across MLB in walk rate (5.0%), barrel rate (3.5%), and hard-hit rate (31.7%).

That’s enough for the Yankees to plan a bullpen rebuild. But it comes with a financial mismatch. Loáisiga asked for a minimum 2-year contract and is expecting around $16 million and $20 million. It is now to be seen whether the Yankees can finalize the reunion.

Alongside the New York Yankees, four other MLB clubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto Blue Jays, are actively pursuing Loáisiga.

Los Angeles is looking to reload its late-inning relief corps after losing Evan Phillips to Atlanta in free agency and seeing Blake Treinen hit the open market. The Mets are seeking high-leverage bullpen depth to bolster their pitching staff for a 2027 postseason push.

Relief pitching is one of Philadelphia’s top offseason priorities, making Loáisiga’s elite ground-ball rate an attractive fit for Citizens Bank Park. On the other hand, Toronto is targeting Loáisiga to pair his heavy sinker with its strong Gold Glove infield defense.