What Are the Yankees Greatest Areas of Need this Offseason?

A Shutdown Reliever

The Yankees bullpen has done a remarkable job since the trade deadline considering the front office shipped out two elite relievers before August 1st. Tyler Clippard and Adam Warren were savvy pickups to patch up some of the holes, and there are some promising arms like Jonathan Holder and Ben Heller auditioning down the stretch.

Still, there is no such thing as having too many relievers. No Runs-DMC was an incredible success earlier in the season considering how terrible the offense and rotation were. They kept the team much closer to the playoff race than they had any right to be.

Having at least two elite relievers has been a hallmark of the Yankees dating all the way back to 1996 with Mariano Rivera and John Wetteland. Dellin Betances has done a fine job as closer, but he is so great in a multi-inning fireman role that New York should consider bringing in a “Proven Closer” type this winter so he can go back to doing what he does best.

The free agent market should be Cashman’s best bet for that, as three of the best closers in baseball will be available this winter in Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, and Mark Melancon. Any of those three would be a nice fit for the team and go a long way towards solidifying the bullpen situation.

Next: Yankees in Danger of Being Lost in Rule 5 Draft

Chapman seemed to enjoy his time in New York and has proven himself capable of dominating the tough AL East. Jansen is also superb and might come a little cheaper than the Cuban Missle. Melancon is the oldest and the shakiest of the group, but also should be the least expensive, which might prove appealing for ownership’s cost cutting.