New York Yankees: Three Options for pitching coach

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 09: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) General Manager Brian Cashman and Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees during batting practice before Game Four of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 4-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 09: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) General Manager Brian Cashman and Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees during batting practice before Game Four of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 4-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Mike Harkey

More from Call to the Pen

Over the past few seasons, the strength of the New York Yankees pitching staff has been their bullpen. Mike Harkey has been the bullpen coach since 2016 and certainly has something to do with helping the relievers be as successful as they have been. You may not think a bullpen coach does as much as a pitching coach, but the bullpen coach certainly has their hand in preparing relievers as they come in with scouting reports and going over situations.

If you listen to the R2C2 podcast with CC Sabathia and Ryan Ruocco, you can tell how popular and respected Harkey is with the players. That kind of rapport with the players can certainly go a long way. If you can connect with the person, the rest could fall into place. That’s part of what led the club to look at Aaron Boone, to begin with.

If I had to handicap this race between the three of them, I’m not sure where the New York Yankees would go. However, they’ve had success with multiple hitting coaches, as many teams have in this day and age. What about multiple coaches? What if, for example, Harkey is the pitching coach, Cone is the assistant pitching coach with Phelps taking over in the bullpen? Or, leave Harkey where is and bring in Phelps and Cone?

The New York Yankees have an important choice to make as pitching coach. I would assume all three of these men are candidates and more we haven’t heard about quite yet. This will be an interesting story, in what could be a very active off-season in the Bronx.