Yankees: 3 ways NYY can cope with Zack Britton’s extended absence

2. Give Lucas Luetge a Roster Spot

If the Yankees want another left in the ‘pen, they have their answer.

He may not be a flamethrower, but Lucas Luetge is a lefty and he looks like he’s ready to seize the moment.

He hasn’t pitched in the bigs since 2015, but Bryce Harper was one of his eight punchouts across three innings this spring. He’s allowed just two hits and hasn’t issued a single walk. Regardless of the competition he’s facing, those numbers turn heads. Just ask Boone! He even said so!

This could be the easiest move for the Yankees to make. They’d merely swap Luetge for Britton, keep the left arm, and see how Luetge profiles in the bullpen. It wouldn’t require any sort of makeover or change in philosophy for the pitching staff. Maybe he can be a realistic option for the remainder of the season. Who knows?

There’s a reason the Yankees signed him so early in the offseason. They clearly saw something even though he’s missed two out of the last three seasons (2018 due to injury and 2020 because of the pandemic). If they were planning to stash him in Triple-A and use him when they needed an extra arm in the bullpen throughout the year, why not just use him in the early going if he’s looking this good?

Then he can either stay there when Britton comes back or hang out at Scranton. Seems easy.