The Yankees may have to secure free agent lefty before it’s too late

MLB: World Series-New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers
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The Twins signed Danny Coulombe to a deal according to Jon Heyman, taking another lefty off the board for the Yankees, who are still in search of a left-handed reliever. Tim Hill is out there and has yet to sign, with plenty of reporters mentioning that there’s mutual interest between the Bronx Bombers and the veteran southpaw. A crafty lefty, he stands alone as the best option for the team on the free agent market, and if they have to trade for an infielder, they may find themselves in a situation where signing Hill back is most advantageous for them.

Entering his age-35 season, the Yankees should aim for a shorter-term deal with Tim Hill, who displayed last season that he could be a high-leverage weapon for a World Series contender.

Is It Time For Tim Hill To Return to the Yankees?

MLB: World Series-New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

One of the most unique relievers in baseball, Tim Hill proved himself throughout the regular season but cemented himself as a true hero in the postseason. The Yankees summoned him out of the bullpen 10 different times in October, and he posted a 1.08 ERA and quickly flew up the trust tree.

In his 35 appearances in the regular season with the Yankees, Hill had a 2.05 ERA and a 3.33 SIERA, as while his low strikeout numbers aren’t great, his ability to induce groundballs and limit damage contact makes him incredible. The Yankees would make some key adjustments with Tim Hill, having him bump up the sinker usage and bury hitters with it.

His sinker wasn’t very effective in Chicago, and I had initially suggested that the team should try and up his four-seam usage, but the Yankees made some tweaks to his sinker to make it an even better pitch.

READ MORE: Why the Yankees brought in this declining 38-year-old free agent

The Yankees would have Tim Hill lower his arm angle by over 5 degrees, resulting in an even funkier release point and more vertical drop. Hitters couldn’t do anything against that sinker, which stole plenty of strikes and resulted in plenty of groundballs.

After being picked up by the Yankees, Hill’s sinker would be third in Run Value while having the fourth lowest Launch Angle allowed, as hitters were burying the pitch straight into the ground. With a usage rate over 70%, the Yankees told Tim Hill to throw his best pitch as often as possible and the results spoke for themself.

Signing a pitcher in their mid-30s can be tricky, but the Yankees might not have to worry about that if this is a two-year deal given how Tim Hill is more reliant on movement and trickery than velocity and dominance. You won’t see a high strikeout rate or a FIP below 3.00, but with the team’s infield defense improving, they might be an even better fit for him than they were last season.

The unique nature of Tim Hill’s sinker makes him a desirable target for the Yankees to bring back, and the adjustments made resulted in his lowest ERA and most innings pitched in a season.

Devin Williams, Yankees
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With just how good the Yankees’ bullpen projects to be, the addition of Tim Hill could be exactly what they need to become the best group in the sport. A left-handed reliever whose biggest deficiency comes in the whiff department, the Yankees have enough firepower in their bullpen to offset that. They aren’t a bullpen full of sinkerballers anymore, instead being loaded with strikeout arms like Devin Williams and Luke Weaver who rely on four-seamers.

Tim Hill is a one-of-a-kind look, and his familiarity with the organization coupled with the Yankees’ need for left-handed bullpen help could make a reunion happen sooner rather than later. Pitchers and catchers report in less than two weeks, and the Yankees would probably prefer avoiding a situation where they bring in a reliever who is behind schedule in Spring Training.

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