Even after the New York Yankees added the best pitcher in all of Major League Baseball, Gerrit Cole, to their rotation, Brian Cashman and the front office may not be done yet. There are rumors that Josh Hader from the Milwalkee Brewers is on the Yankees list to potentially land in a trade.
You may be asking, why in the world do the New York Yankees need another reliever? They already have one of the best, if not the best, bullpens in the Major Leagues. Well, it’s because why not? The Yankees know that this season is a must-win year, and adding Hader would give them even more depth to an already-highly talented bullpen.
Hader posted a 2.62 ERA with 37 saves and 138 strikeouts last season over 75.2 innings pitched. If he were to join the Yankees, between him and Chapman and Britton, there’d always be a premier closer available essentially every game.
This is what Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic had to say about a potential Hader trade:
The Yankees’ interest in Hader, at least, reflects their willingness to further strengthen a bullpen that already includes left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman, lefty Zack Britton and righties Adam Ottavino, Chad Green and Tommy Kahnle. The Yankees also were engaged on free-agent reliever Blake Treinen, who agreed Wednesday to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Dodgers.
What could the trade look like?
The Brewers are in need of a third baseman, so that could potentially mean Miguel Andujar is a trade option. The Brewers’ farm system is also dry, so a few Yankee prospects would fit their needs as well.