Three free agent arms the Yankees could target this offseason

Pitching is the new state of the game, and this offseason there are a lot of solid arms available. So who should the Yankees target to put in pinstripes?

The New York Yankees pitching rotation has a lot of uncertainty headed into 2018.

CC Sabathia is a free agent and might not return, Masahiro Tanaka has the option to opt out. Sonny Gray and Luis Severino are the only locks as of now with some younger guys vying for any and all open spots.

Considered to be the best in the game, the Yanks’ bullpen doesn’t really need any help. Returning are all the big names to the ‘pen. It will be fun to watch David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle all season long in the Bronx.

In regards to free agent starters, the first guy the Yankees should target is a pitcher they have seen a ton before. Alex Cobb has spent his entire career with the Tampa Bay Rays and could be a potential bargain for the Bombers.

Known for his unusual delivery, Cobb is a control pitcher who relies on movement and deception rather than velocity. He compiled a record of 12-10 in 2017 with an ERA of 3.66.

Over 179.1 innings pitched, he walked just 44 batters and struck out 128. Cobb is going to be highly sought after this winter and could be a great back-end of the rotation guy for the Yanks.

Keeping with the trend of right-handed arms, Lance Lynn has had a very steady career in St. Louis. His only issue would be shaving his beard, which has become his trademark.

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After missing all of 2016 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Lynn had a nice bounce-back campaign in 2017. He put up 11 wins compared to only eight losses and pitched to a 3.43 ERA.

All-in-all, Lynn tossed 186 innings, racking up 153 strikeouts, down from the usual 180+ strikeouts he averaged before his surgery.

Lynn is a big guy, standing at 6’5, 280 lbs, and would add a nice power option to the rotation.

Despite having only one winning season over the course of his eight-year career, Andrew Cashner, who is always plagued by a lack of run support, has flashed signs of being a competent middle-of-the-rotation type shooter.

During his one season with Texas in 2017, Cashner got exposed to the American League and thrived. He put together an 11-11 record with a 3.40 ERA across 166.2 innings. Cashner isn’t an overpowering guy, striking out only 86 batters last season, but he is a veteran who can bring some stability towards the bottom end of the rotation.

The Yankees are returning a vast majority of star players in 2018, but starting pitching will be the one area that needs improvement. The front office has made moves to make the bullpen the giant it was in 2017 and needs to make similar transactions to echo that sentiment for the staff.

With Jordan Montgomery eager to improve upon his rookie season, and the status of Tanaka and Sabathia still up in the air, targeting some veteran arms could help establish the Yankees’ rotation as a legit force.

Next: Joe Girardi's first post-Yankees interview

In my opinion, Cobb, Lynn and Andrew Cashner are just some of the arms that need to be on the mind of general manager Brian Cashman.

Pitching is the new state of the game, and this offseason there are a lot of solid arms available. So who should the Yankees target to put in pinstripes?

More from Yanks Go Yard

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