New York Yankees: Will Cashman take a chance on Adam Ottavino?

The New York Yankees already have a bullpen filled with impressive arms.  But they have an opportunity to make it even more dangerous by signing Adam Ottavino.

After the New York Yankees lost David Robertson to the Philadelphia Phillies, fans were excited to see Zach Britton return. Now many are expecting general manager Brian Cashman to add Adam Ottavino.

The former Colorado pitcher will likely get paid too, thanks to what occurred Saturday. But the question is whether New York will be the one to do it.

Yankees relievers were some of the best in the league, at least as a unit. They ranked fourth in the MLB in ERA and third in batting average against. Most of the crew also boasted strikeout rates greater than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

Even before New York acquired Britton last year, the squad had a lockdown closing corps including Dellin Betances, David Robertson and Aroldis Chapman. Britton replaces Robertson, who still had a respectable year in 2018.

However, Ottavino’s addition would arguably give the Yankees the best relief unit in the MLB. And it would take the innings load away from a starting rotation surrounded by question marks.

Ottavino proved himself as a legitimate setup candidate in Colorado. His swing-and-miss ability countered hitters’ advantage at Coors Field. He continues to wield one of the most dominant repertoires.

But unlike the heat-throwing Aroldis Chapman, Ottavino relies on breaking balls for his success. Hitters owned a paltry .158 against his sinker and .149 against his slider in 2018, per FanGraphs. They also combined for just 11 extra-base hits against him across 77 2/3 innings.

The former Rockies reliever has been inconsistent across his career. He endured an abbreviated 2016 season despite have a strong start. And his 2017 was uninspiring, as the 33-year-old posted a 5.06 ERA and an inflated 1.63 WHIP.

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Nevertheless, recency bias sets in when it involves several relievers.

is a prime example, as he will earn more than $15 million a year thanks to essentially 22 1/3 innings in the postseason.

If the Yankees acquire Ottavino, they also block an opportunity for other contenders in the American League to strengthen their bullpen. Although, even if New York settles for a lesser-known pitcher, it would still possess one of the more-talented cadres.

It’s apparent that the starting pitchers left on the market aren’t worth a significant amount of money. Thus the Yankees seem more inclined to purchase a power relief arm like Ottavino.

But the offseason remains unpredictable. Ottavino seems like the main target at this point, yet there are a multitude of other options.

Cashman is the decision-maker that isn’t afraid to take risks in the offseason. Ottavino is a high-risk, high-reward option. Whether he pans out – for New York or another team – will be seen soon enough.