5 free agents Yankees could pursue to make 2018 even more interesting

Jake Arrieta

• Previous team: Chicago Cubs
• 2017 Stats: 14-10/168.1 IP/150 H/163 K/55 BB/3.53 ERA/1.22 WHIP
• Arrieta has become one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball. In 2015 he won the NL Cy Young award, putting up video game numbers, but has not shown the lights out dominance he did since that year. Now, some may be hesitant to give Arrieta the deal he is expecting, but the Yankees need one more arm to have the most commanding pitching staff in all of baseball, especially with their bullpen. With the right-hander’s upside and potential to be the pitcher he was in 2015 — an ace, there is simply no reason the Yanks won’t be apart of the Arrieta sweepstakes.

Alex Cobb

• Previous team: Tampa Bay Rays
• 2017 Stats: 12-10/179.1 IP/175 H/128 K/44 BB/3.66 ERA/1.22 WHIP
• Alex Cobb is one of the most intriguing free agents this offseason.  As one of the top 5 pitchers available on the market, Cobb showed what his true potential is last season with the Rays. Cobb’s career has been plagued by a variety of injuries but a full healthy season, like his last one, could help the Yankees tremendously as he would most likely fit into the rotation as the fourth starter. Cobb, primarily a sinkerballer, complements his hard go-to pitch with a knuckle curve, splitter, and a low 90’s four-seam fastball. All Cobb would need to contribute to the Yanks rotation as a fourth starter is a solid five-to-six innings per game.  He could then hand the ball over to the shutdown bullpen to accumulate many wins for the Yanks, which he is completely capable of doing. The ex-Ray would be a very strong signing for the Bombers this offseason.