New York Yankees: Attractive short-term free agent pitchers.

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CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 04: Jaime Garcia /

The New York Yankees could be without three of its starting pitchers from last season. Before the eminent free agent class of 2018 becomes available, they will need some decent veterans to hold down spots in the rotation until then.

The New York Yankees have made it somewhat of a habit to sign veteran MLB players to one-year deals.

Most of the time it involves a group of sluggers. Matt Holliday and Chris Carter were the two most recent signings in 2017. But, they did the same with Andrew Jones and Kelly Johnson over the past decade.

The Yankees no longer need to load up on bats, with a productive farm system and an already-potent lineup. Cashman now needs to switch his focus to the bump and who occupies it.

There weren’t many successful starting pitchers in the playoffs, but New York’s rotation could have done better.

CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka performed well, but the team’s phenom Luis Severino and “golden boy” Sonny Gray floundered under the October lights.

The two youngsters’ lackluster performances in big games are just two reasons why the front office will need to seek help.

With Michael Pineda, Jaime Garcia and CC Sabathia heading for free agency, there are some vacant spots in the rotation.

Some free agents could provide the squad with some veteran, clutch pitching when it matters.

New York won’t be looking for long-term deals, especially with a loaded 2018 free agent class. For now, the Yankees may settle for an old dog with no new tricks rather than an unproven risk from the minor leagues.

Luckily for them, there are plenty of guys worthy of a small-scale contract this offseason. Here are the ones they should aim for.

John Lackey

The New York Yankees were lacking another experienced veteran on the mound to complement CC Sabathia in October. Lackey would be a perfect fit for a team that’s certainly capable of reaching the postseason again in 2018.

Not many pitchers can boast about winning three World Series rings with three different teams. Lackey is an exception, playing a vital role for the Cubs, Red Sox and Angels each respective Fall Classic.

Lackey isn’t the most dominant pitcher in the league, although he has aged well. In 2015, he posted a career-low 2.77 ERA across 33 starts. Last year, the right-hander pitched 188 2/3 innings with a 3.35 ERA and sported the best WHIP of his career.

Clearly, he still has some pitching talent at 39 years old. And, despite his old age, he could still make a go for one more ring before he retires.

Lackey occupied a spot in the Cubs’ rotation for the past two seasons, throwing for more than 170 innings in both years.

He wasn’t his most dominant self in 2017, sporting a ballooned 4.59 ERA, but he can still be a valuable contributor next season. Despite earning an All-Star appearance in just one season, he’s posted an ERA less than 4.00 in 11 of his 17 seasons.

He doesn’t miss many bats, as his career WHIP sits at 1.295. Yet he could still fill a similar role that Sabathia did throughout the past few seasons – eat up innings. Sabathia’s success was more than expected.

Surely, Lackey could play a similar part and be a key addition in a team hungry for a World Series title.

Jason Vargas

Vargas didn’t look like a worthless 34-year-old pitcher in 2017. In fact, he arguably became Kansas City’s ace on a staff that featured few promotable arms.

The southpaw had an outstanding first half of the season, earning his first ever All-Star bid this season. He owned a 2.62 ERA while compiling 12 wins and 78 strikeouts in just 17 starts. By the end of the season, his stats didn’t look so glossy, but he still led the Royals in most of the pitching categories.

Now, after proving he can remain healthy for an entire season, the lefty has an opportunity to help teams that will be in playoff contention.

Vargas is similar to Lackey – and most other older pitchers – because he doesn’t possess overpowering stuff. Yet, he somehow found a way to lead the league in wins.

His most devious pitch – the one he relied on most – is his sinker. He has relied less on a four-seam fastball and more on his off-speed stuff. Nearly 42 percent of his pitches were sinkers, per FanGraphs, while more than 34 percent of his pitches were changeups.

For a guy that averages about 85 MPH on his fastball, it makes sense to stick with the slower, more confounding, repertoire. Like Lackey, he would be a great replacement for Sabathia.

The only problem with Vargas is that he doesn’t boast much playoff experience, which is what the New York Yankees may be looking for.

Nevertheless, he offers an extra arm for a team that needs plenty of them for the upcoming season.

Trevor Cahill

Cahill was relevant during two parts of the 2017 season.

First, he gained popularity among fantasy gurus early on, after he garnered a strong strikeout rate across his first few starts.

Secondly, he was one of the many players featured during the 2017 trade deadline. Other than those two portions of the year, he flew completely under the radar.

But, he’s still a cheap, veteran option for the New York Yankees.

Cahill was virtually ineffective during his short stint in Kansas City. He garnered an 8.22 ERA and a brutal 2.35 WHIP across just 23 innings.

Prior to his injury last year, he was efficient for San Diego, whiffing 72 hitters in 61 innings.

While the right-hander has had more success recently out of the bullpen, he should still be a candidate for most teams’ starting rotation. He’s still under the 30-year-old mark, but due to his shady durability, he cannot be trusted for a long-term deal.

Still, he could be a perfect fifth starter for the pinstripe squad. He’s shown his potential in the past, posting a 2.97 ERA in 2010, a 3.78 ERA in 2012 and, of course, a 3.69 ERA in 2017 for the Padres.

Cahill also possesses a few tricks up his sleeve on the bump as well. He doesn’t allow a copious amount of walks while wielding a wipeout curveball.

Opposing hitters batted just .165 against it. His strike percentage with the curve was also much higher than for every other pitch at 39.3 percent.

Wasn’t there another New York Yankees legend that boasted a sweeping hammer? Yep, Andy Pettite.

While Cahill may not be as menacing as the lefty was in the playoffs, he could still be a pertinent factor in a season full of success for the New York Yankees.

Jaime Garcia

The Minnesota Twins acquired the southpaw for a reason, while Brian Cashman also dealt him for a reason.

The plan didn’t pan out the way the general manager hoped, Garcia still proved he has some gas left in the tank. Thanks to his fragile body, he’s only been able to showcase his pitching skills for a limited time.

But at just 31 years old, he should be a prime target in this year’s free agent class. He was last season, when the Braves signed him to a short-term deal, where they got their money’s worth out of him.

The starter pitched 113 innings for Atlanta, then traded for pitching prospect Huascar Ynoa, Anthony Recker, and cash.

Garcia wasn’t able to transfer his success to the Bronx, as he owned a shoddy 4.82 ERA in eight starts. However, he was the lone New York pitcher that didn’t yield any runs in the postseason. Granted, he pitched just 2 2/3 innings.

While the seasoned veteran has been known more for his time off the field than on it, he still boasts some promising numbers from his career.

He sported an ERA lower than 4.00 in four of his six full seasons. In two of those years, he owned a 2.70 ERA and 2.43 ERA.

Garcia has already spent some time in New York, so there’s no reason why he wouldn’t accept a one-year deal knowing he would have a shot at a ring.

Andrew Cashner

Of the pitchers discussed thus far, it may be most difficult convincing Cashman to sign Cashner.

He is one of the younger players on the list and is coming off his best season since 2014, posting a sturdy 2.55 ERA.

Cashner isn’t the strikeout pitcher he once was, but he’s still capable of getting outs. For the Rangers, he pitched 166 2/3 innings and sported a 3.40 ERA despite owning a measly 4.6 K/9 ratio.

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The right-hander’s biggest issue is his consistency. One of the things he can consistently do is produce walks, as his command is shoddy.

He’s averaged more than three walks per nine innings in all but two of his professional seasons.

At one point, he was one of the Padres’ premier prospects. And, it seemed that he would pan out, as he put together strong seasons in 2013 and 2014.

In those two years alone, he pitched a combined 298 1/3 with 221 whiffs to go against 66 walks.

Yes, he hasn’t been nearly as dominant as he once was, but he could be in for a surprise comeback in 2018. If Ervin Santana and Jason Vargas can do it, why not Cashner?

Even if he doesn’t own the perplexing collection of pitches he once had when he was younger, he’s still more trustworthy than some minor leaguers being throw into the fire.

Next: Houston's bullpen needs some improvement for 2018

Cashner would be just one more cheap option for a decent fifth starter for the New York Yankees next season.

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