The Yankees boasted one of the best bullpen units in the league last season. It should still be a force in 2018, considering that none of the key relievers left this offseason.
Few teams in the league have as much of a star-studded bullpen as the Yankees. But it doesn’t mean the new skipper will have it easy in determining who gets what role in order to be successful.
Aroldis Chapman put his job in jeopardy in 2017, while David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle showed they belong in the Bronx. Analysts even gave some love to Chad Green as well, who was arguably one of the best long relievers in the game last year.
With an abundance of reliable relievers, New York’s bullpen should continue to thrive in 2018. It ranked third in the MLB last year in ERA. But there’s always room for improvement.
Other than Chapman, the team’s primary relief corps all boasted ERAs below 3.00. From the seventh inning to the ninth, the new manager shouldn’t have to fret about much.
However, with such a strong slew of relief pitchers, new roles may be established, especially in the ninth. Robertson, Betances and Chapman all have experience as stoppers. Fans often deemed Chapman the best reliever in the league prior to last season.
Then he became flustered more often, yielding more hits in crucial situations. Heading into Spring Training with an arsenal of arms, New York could dismiss the hard-throwing lefty as its closer.
There are several pitching options the new manager will have. But there are also a few that will not be thrusted into the daily game plan.
Chason Shreve and Bryan Mitchell are two noteworthy pieces that will likely be utilized to eat up innings. Together, the two logged 78 innings. Mitchell, if he remains on the 40-man roster, would be sort of a last resort unless he shows improvement out of the gates.
Shreve, on the other hand, could be used in a long relief role, as he had a successful season last year after a rough 2016. He was one of seven Yankees relievers with more than 25 innings pitched that averaged more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings. The 27-year-old did struggle with command though, yielding the second-most walks on the team among bullpen guys.
Shreve will be an asset, but there are several more dependable relievers on the team, each with their own role.