3 pitchers for New York Yankees to target after lockout
The New York Yankees may have postseason aspirations, but there are plenty of holes on the roster. Centerfield, shortstop, and first base are wide open, leaving gaping holes in the lineup. Any internal options are not close to exciting, nor are they the type of impact players that the Yankees need.
The same can be said of the pitching staff. The Yankees rotation is Gerrit Cole and a plethora of question marks. New York’s bullpen could stand to add another solid setup man or two. There is clearly work to be done.
Three pitchers for New York Yankees to target
While there may not be many impact starters left in free agency, there are still plenty of arms available. The trade market should heat up once the new CBA has been agreed upon and the lockout comes to an end. Meanwhile, there are still plenty of relievers available, including several that could make a difference.
The New York Yankees need to make some moves to address their pitching staff. Here are three pitchers they should target when the lockout ends.
Carlos Rodon
The White Sox had been waiting for Carlos Rodon to emerge as a top of the rotation arm for years, finally running out of patience and refusing to offer him arbitration after the 2020 season. While he was brought back on a one year deal worth $3 million, it seemed to be a final chance to prove himself.
Rodon responded with the best showing of his major league career. He made his first All Star game while posting a 2.37 ERA and a 0.957 WHiP in his 132.2 innings, striking out 185 batters with 36 walks. He will not need to worry about settling for just $3 million this time through free agency.
That is not to say that Rodon is free of risks. He had never pitched at that level for an extended period of time before 2021. Rodon also spent time on the Injured List with shoulder fatigue and did not throw more than five innings in any of his final eight appearances.
Nonetheless, Rodon is arguably the top starting pitcher available. Given those questions, the New York Yankees could end up with a bargain in the middle of their rotation. If he can perform at the same level as last year, Rodon would be a perfect second starter. Otherwise, he would be a solid veteran for the back of the rotation.
Sean Manaea
The Oakland A’s are expected to embark on a fire sale once the lockout ends. Quite a few of those players would be fits for the New York Yankees.
As it is, the Yankees have already been linked to Matt Olson and Matt Chapman, the latter as a possible option at shortstop. However, the A’s also have plenty of options in the rotation, and potentially bullpen, as well that could be available for trade.
Sean Manaea would be the starter for the Yankees to target. He had another solid year in 2021, posting a 3.91 ERA and a 1.227 WHiP in his 179.1 innings, striking out 194 batters with 41 walks. Although he is in the final year of team control, he is going to generate plenty of interest.
And that interest should include the Yankees. He would be the perfect pitcher to slot behind Cole in the Yankees rotation, another top of the rotation arm who can make a difference in the postseason. Manaea does have occasional issues with consistency, but he may be the best option available. Likewise, he could be part of a bigger deal to bring other players over, depending on what they would want to give up.
The New York Yankees need another top of the rotation arm. Sean Manaea could be exactly what they need.
Andrew Chafin
Although the New York Yankees bullpen is in reasonably good shape, they are in the same boat as every other contending team in that they could use another reliever.
Fortunately, the ninth inning is already set. Between Aroldis Chapman and Jonathan Loaisiga, the Yankees have options. It is just a matter of having another reliable arm to get to them.
There is the perfect option available in Andrew Chafin. Although he may not be a star, or someone that really moves the needle in the media, he is exactly the type of pitcher that the Yankees need. He posted an excellent 1.83 ERA and a 0.932 WHiP in his 68.2 innings between the Cubs and A’s last season, striking out 64 batters with 19 walks.
Chafin has another trait that is highly useful for the Yankees – he keeps the ball on the ground. He has a career 49.6% ground ball rate and has allowed just 0.6 homers per nine innings. With the power options that are around the AL East, having a reliever that can get the opposition to hit the ball into the ground would be a major benefit.
Next. Chapman a consideration at short. dark
The New York Yankees are in solid shape when it comes to their bullpen. Adding an arm such as Andrew Chafin would only make that relief corps even better.