Sad News From New York Yankees Today……..

Sad News From New York Yankees Today……..

The Yankees did not go to the top of the free-agent market to build out their rotation.

However, it’s feasible that they could acquire Marcus Stroman and a bullpen arm for the yearly cost of one of those elite pitchers.

With one month until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the Yankees’ lineup and rotation appear to be set, at least for the time being. However, they could use another reliever to improve their bullpen, which was among the best in the league the previous season.

The next step for the Yankees could be to provide manager Aaron Boone with another reliable relief weapon, whether that means bringing back lefty Wandy Peralta or bringing in a righty setup man like Hector Neris or Robert Stephenson.

The Yankees had the lowest bullpen ERA in the majors at the end of the previous season (3.34), despite a minor decline in the second half due in part to injuries.

From that core group, the Yankees have lost Peralta, who is still a free agent, and lost Michael King, who was set to move to the rotation full-time before being traded to the Padres in the Juan Soto blockbuster.

They have already acquired lefty Victor Gonzalez from the Dodgers this offseason and re-signed Luke Weaver, who is expected to be the long man in the bullpen.

With Tommy Kahnle and Jonathan Loaisiga serving as his main setup men, Clay Holmes is expected to return as a closer in his final season before entering free agency. After being a non-roster invitee to spring training, Ian Hamilton surprised everyone last season. Meanwhile, Scott Effross is expected to make a comeback after missing all of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

In an eight-man bullpen, that would appear to leave seven positions filled if all of those relievers remain healthy during camp.

As it stands, Ron Marinaccio, Matt Kroo Nick Ramirez, k, or Cody Morris—all of whom have minor league options—could fill the final position.

It might be a formidable team once more, and the Yankees have proven themselves lately in identifying underappreciated arms and turning them into valuable relief assets, which may serve as justification for not making significant bullpen purchases. However, there are some points that a second signature might clarify.

When healthy, Loaisiga has established himself as a top reliever, but he has struggled with arm problems. Last season, for example, he was only able to pitch 17 ⅔ innings due to elbow surgery to remove a bone spur, and he also had more elbow inflammation towards the conclusion of the season.

In his first season back with the Yankees, Kahnle was largely reliable; nevertheless, he missed the first two months due to tendinitis in his biceps, and he concluded the season on the injured list with inflammation in his shoulder.

It’s also unclear how long it will take Effross to fully recover from Tommy John surgery and reach his peak performance level.

Not to mention, Holmes, Loaisiga, and Kahnle will all be available as free agents in the upcoming offseason.

Peralta, 32, was one of the Yankees’ most valuable arms the previous three seasons; he would provide a known quantity (as well as a second lefty out of the bullpen). He has pitched 153 innings with a 2.82 ERA since joining the organisation via a trade in 2021. And despite suffering late-September ailments in each of the previous two seasons (a triceps strain in 2023 and thoracic spine tightness in 2022), he has generally been a reliable arm who is also well-liked by his teammates.

Neris, 34, pitched with the Astros for the previous two seasons as a setup man. In 2023, he had the finest season of his career with a 1.71 ERA, 77 strikeouts in 68 ¹/₃ innings.

Stephenson, 30, just finished a breakout season with the Rays, striking out 60 batters in 38 1/3 innings while sporting a 2.35 ERA.

Reuniting with Keynan Middleton, their lone significant addition at the trade deadline last summer, is another option the Yankees have. After missing time in September due to shoulder pain, the reliever recorded a 1.88 ERA in 12 outings and indicated interest in making a comeback at the end of the season.