Adding a relief pitcher is all Yankees have left to do this offseason

The Yankees have won the offseason with the signing of Gerrit Cole and are looking strong heading into the 2020 season. However, there is still work that can be done to round out the bullpen, if Brian Cashman chooses to do so.

Over the last few years, the Yankees starting rotation has arguably been the soft underbelly to an otherwise strong team. Now with Gerrit Cole added to the rotation, the organization’s focus should turn to the bullpen.

The bullpen boasts names such as the Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton. These two both had superb seasons in 2019. However, the rest of the bullpen could use a tune-up.

Chad Green’s ERA was almost two points higher than the year prior. While Green has the potential to be one of the leagues most dominant bullpen arms, he needs to work on controlling the ball. Perhaps no longer worrying about being used an an “opener” will benefit Green’s overall performance.

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Last season, Green had a career-high in walks allowed and hit by pitches. Despite the disappointing control, he did have one area of strength, strikeouts. He averaged 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

While the bullpen does have some spectacular parts, trading for another dominant arm would be an enormous benefit. There are a couple of options that the Cashman has in front of him.

One which has gotten a lot of press is to swing a deal for Josh Hader. Hader would, without a doubt, be a great addition to the ‘pen; however, it is hard to see this happening. Hader won’t be a free agent until 2023, so he would likely cost the Yankees a group of talented prospects.

Another terrific option for the Yanks is to obtain free agent Jason Adam. He had an above-average season in Toronto last year and would come relatively cheap. Sure, Adam is a bit risky, having only pitched parts of two major league seasons, but with a low price tag, you can’t beat it.

Upgrading the bullpen might not seem like an emergency, however, having the extra arm in October will greatly help the Yankees down the stretch.