Yankees Connected to Trade for 27-Year-Old Flamethrower

The New York Yankees might need to add some new pieces to their bullpen this offseason, as they have five key relievers — including closer David Bednar — hitting free agency.

And while teams have long coveted San Diego Padres relief pitchers Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon (the latter of whom is about to hit the open market), the Yankees have had their eye on a different Padres arm: Jeremiah Estrada.

Joel Sherman of The New York Post has reported that the Yankees have "long eyed" Estrada, so they could potentially approach San Diego in trade talks this winter.

Estrada is 27 years old and is under club control through 2029, so he could potentially provide New York with a reliable late-inning option for years to come.

However, Estrada does not come without several warning labels.

This past season, Estrada's average velocity on his four-seam fastball dipped from 97.9 mph to 95.9 mph. He missed time with elbow, knee and shoulder injuries in 2026, and the shoulder issue kept him out of the playoffs.

The right-hander still managed to post a respectable 3.48 ERA over 33 appearances, and he averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings. But he did not look nearly as good as he did the campaign prior.

Back in 2025, Estrada logged a similar 3.45 ERA, but he racked up 108 strikeouts across 73 frames, good for a 13.3 K/9. He did surrender 12 home runs, but his stuff was nasty enough where you were willing to look past it as a potential fluke (for the record, Estrada permitted just two homers in 31 innings this past year).

So, should the Yankees consider a move for Estrada?

The former sixth-round pick will probably come with a high price tag, especially considering that the Padres seemed primed to lose Morejon to free agency. And given Estrada's team control, the Friars do not have to be in any rush to move him.

But considering his injury concerns, perhaps San Diego would be open to dealing him if it is able to reap something of value in return.

New York certainly has trade chips down in its farm system, and it could even dangle disappointing outfielder Jasson Dominguez in trade talks. But the Yanks would have to take caution in any potential move for Estrada.

In addition to Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, Tim Hill and John Schreiber are all slated to become free agents. The Yankees probably don't care too much about Hill or Schreiber, but Bednar, Blackburn and Yarbrough are all very valuable pieces.

And even if New York retains that trio, it may still want to add another significant arm to its bullpen because of how much Blackburn and Brent Headrick were overworked in 2026.

Is Estrada the solution the Yankees are seeking, though? There is no question it would be an incredible risk, but if the price is not exorbitant, New York may want to take a look.