Yankees Rumors: New York Looking to Add Multiple Bullpen Arms

The New York Yankees are reportedly looking to add multiple free agent relievers this winter in an effort to shore up their questionable pitching staff.

According to multiple credible sources, the New York Yankees number one priority this offseason is bringing former closer Aroldis Chapman back to the Bronx. That may not be the only bullpen upgrade the front office has their eye on, however, as Joel Sherman of The New York Post hears they would like to add at least one other veteran arm to their late-inning mix via free agency.

The Yankees were apparently one of the finalists for 30-year-old lefty reliever Brett Cecil before he signed his surprising four-year $30.5 million pact with the St. Louis Cardinals recently. While the Cecil signing could be a fluke, it may also be a sign that the price of relievers this winter may be much higher than many analysts thought.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted a three-year $18 million pact for Cecil, while the FanGraphs median crowdsourced prediction was three years and $21 million. Cecil’s a sabermetric darling because of his strong peripherals, but the fact remains he had a 3.93 ERA in 36.2 IP in 2016. That’s big money for a guy Baseball-Reference estimates was barely above replacement level (0.3 WAR).

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If the Yankees sign Chapman to close games, they already have a solid nucleus of Dellin Betances, Tyler Clippard, and Adam Warren to set him up. The team’s interest in Cecil could indicate they’d prefer a more proven lefty reliever than Chasen Shreve or Tommy Layne to play the late-inning matchups.

New York has already been connected to former LOOGY Boone Logan, who was a key contributor in the Yankees pen from 2010-2013, compiling a 3.38 ERA and 3.63 FIP in 256 appearances over those four seasons. More recently, he braved the harsh pitching environment of Coors Field, putting up a surprisingly good 3.69 ERA and 3.23 FIP in 46.1 IP at age 32.

Other free agent lefty relievers who could make sense for the club include Travis Wood, Mike Dunn, and J.P. Howell. An even more aggressive approach would be to sign Chapman plus another of the elite free agent closers available this winter like Kenley Jansen or Mark Melancon, reforming the three-headed bullpen monster that worked pretty well for the Yankees in the first half of 2016.

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Despite the impressive number of arms they’ve collected in the upper minors, the Yankees haven’t had much luck developing quality homegrown relievers the last two years which might explain why they’re looking outward this offseason. Personally, I’d like to see what Dietrich Enns could do as a lefty reliever in 2017, although it might make more sense to keep him stretched out as a starter for rotation depth.