Three Undervalued Free Agents the Yankees Should Consider

Travis Wood

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Bringing in 30-year-old lefty Travis Wood wouldn’t have the same impact of signing a potential front-of-the-rotation option like Rich Hill, but Wood has been a useful pitcher in his own right for the Chicago Cubs the last three seasons.

For a team with as many question marks as the Yankees, Wood’s durability, youth, and versatility could make him very appealing, especially at the modest three-year $21 million price tag that MLBTR projects.

Wood worked exclusively as a reliever in 2016, pitching to a 2.95 ERA in 61 IP, although his 4.54 FIP suggests he may have benefitted from a few lucky breaks along the way. The most appealing thing about Wood is his extensive resume as a starter. He has a career 4.19 ERA in 776 IP while striking out 18.5% of opposing batters and walking 8.3%.

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The best way for the Yankees to use Wood would be as a left-handed Adam Warren. Both guys are capable back-of-the-rotation starters who can very easily slide into a set-up role if one or more of the Baby Bombers prove capable of holding down a rotation spot either out of spring training or later in the year.