Before the start of the offseason, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner made it apparent that GM Brian Cashman would have the green light to sign star pitcher, Gerrit Cole. Subsequently, the Bombers locked him down on a nine-year, $324 million deal. However, a contract of this substantiating size means that the remainder of free agency will be slow, and it has been beyond the retention of Brett Gardner.
While the Yankees have dabbled in the relief pitcher market, considering trade rumors revolving around Brewers’ Josh Hader, nothing has materialized.
Here are three bullpen options the New York Yankees could look into:
1.) Sam Dyson
Before joining the Minnesota Twins last season, where he featured in 12 games, he put up stellar numbers with the San Francisco Giants, earning a 2.47 ERA over 49 games. The transition to the Twins didn’t go as smoothly, but he can still be a stellar option for the Yanks in the bullpen.
Dyson is an appealing option in high-leverage situations. His high groundball rate and low walk numbers result in elevated double play conversions and low home run totals. His 2.74 FIP represents how well he played for the Giants before being traded to Minnesota. Also, his 1.1 WAR ranks 19th among 165 qualified relievers — factor in his filthy sinker and cutter, and the Yankees might have room for him on the roster.
2.) Brandon Kintzler
Another attractive free-agent target is Kintzlier, who spent all of 2019 with the Chicago Cubs, where he logged a 2.68 ERA over 57 innings. Kintzler has been up and down the past few seasons, but he would come at a cheaper price-tag (maybe in the $8-10 million range).
His HR/9 ratio spiked a bit in 2019, the highest its been since 2016. With the new rule that a pitcher must feature in the entire inning once they’re called in, he could pose a problem if he loses control. However, it’s worth kicking the tired on the 35-year-old, who had a solid campaign last year. He features a fastball and slider, both of which hover in the lower 90’s. The Yanks prefer strong-armed pitchers, but Kintzler has reliable control, making up for the dip in velocity.
3.) Yoshihisa Hirano
At 35-years-old, Hirano isn’t the spring chicken he once was, but he’s put together some successful outings over the last two seasons. Having spent only two seasons in the MLB, his sample size is quite small, but in 2018, he was dominant.
Hirano logged a 2.44 ERA and 3.69 FIP in his lone quality seasons. However, he would be extremely cheap and could be used for his split-finger fastball, which sees an 8PMH drop off from his fastball (91.2 –> 83.9). His 10.39 K/9 ratio was impressive last season, which means he racks up the strikeouts. If the Yankees aren’t trying to break the bank, he’s an option worth looking into.