New York Yankees Among Teams Interested in Carlos Torres

According to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, the New York Yankees are interested in ex-New York Mets right-handed reliever Carlos Torres. 

The 33-year old reliever officially elected to become a free-agent on Monday after the Mets designated him for assignment.

Over his six-year MLB career, Torres has pitched for the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies and New York Mets. In 336.0 major league innings, the right-hander has posted a career 4.26 ERA with 296 strikeouts.

His best season came in 2014 with the New York Mets when he pitched to a career-best 3.06 ERA with 96 strikeouts over a single-season high 97.0 innings pitched. Last season was a different story, as he pitched to a 4.68 ERA while striking out just 48 in 57.2 innings pitched.

While the New York Yankees bullpen is locked and loaded for the seventh, eighth and ninth innings with closer Aroldis Chapman and the dynamic duo of Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances as set-up men, the front of their bullpen still needs some work.

The Yankees are expected to hold a healthy competition of bullpen arms competing for relief spots in spring training, so why not add Carlos Torres to the mix?

The Yankees haven’t signed a single major-league free-agent this off season, but Carlos Torres might be too good a bullpen arm to ignore.

Of course the Yankees can try and sign Torres to a minor league deal, but with over 20 teams interested in his services, including teams in the MLB as well as Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League, a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training might not be enough to lure the former New York Met to come to the Bronx.

Next: What can the Yankees Expect from CC in 2016?