The New York Yankees keep shedding pitching depth this winter, and the latest move only adds to the growing list of unanswered questions.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees have granted right-hander Allan Winans his release so he can sign with a team in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. The 30-year-old was on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, which now sits at 36 players following the decision.
On paper, Winans is a fringe arm. In reality, he was part of the type of depth teams often rely on over the course of a season. And his exit comes after the Yankees have already watched Luke Weaver and Devin Williams walk away earlier this offseason. They head into the season with questions about their rotation with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt scheduled to begin the year on the injured list.
Winans was out of minor-league options and not guaranteed to remain on the 40-man roster for the winter. Even so, the Yankees’ willingness to let him go speaks to a broader pattern. Rather than fortifying their pitching depth, they have quietly allowed it to erode.
Winans will earn far more overseas than he would on a split deal bouncing between Triple-A and the majors. From the Yankees’ perspective, the roster spot creates flexibility.
What remains unclear is how that flexibility will be used.
The Yankees’ bullpen picture has shifted significantly since last season ended. Weaver and Williams are gone. Other arms are being asked to absorb more responsibility, and the organization appears increasingly comfortable leaning on internal options rather than adding proven depth.
That approach narrows the margin for error. Depth pieces rarely draw headlines in December, but they often decide games in July and August. Each quiet subtraction raises the same question: is there a larger plan in place, or are the Yankees simply trimming around the edges and hoping the rest holds?
Allan Winans will not define the Yankees’ offseason. But taken together, the departures are starting to shape it — and the picture isn’t getting any clearer.
