The Miami Marlins are getting plenty of calls on Tanner Scott, and the New York Yankees are among teams interested in his services, but they should look to target his teammate as well. Declan Cronin is having an incredible season out of the bullpen as the 26-year-old has fired 50.1 innings with a 3.40 ERA and 25% strikeout rate, which would appeal to a team like the Yankees in need of swing-and-miss arms. A sinker-slider pitcher with high groundball rates, he has control for multiple seasons after 2024 and could be the under-the-radar reliever the Yankees acquire as they do yearly.
Declan Cronin Is a Perfect Fit For the Yankees’ Bullpen
There’s a lot to like about someone like Declan Cronin, who has a wicked slider with excellent vertical movement that causes batters to swing over it, and it’s his best offering. The pitch has a 33.6% Whiff Rate and +2 Run Value, and it plays up because of his funky arm slot. His slider is released from a really low slot and he has almost a crossfire look to his delivery, and it’s a pitch he throws 53.2% of the time.
His sinker is a strong pitch as well, and while it has a negative Run Value, he does an excellent job of keeping the ball on the ground with it. With a 54% groundball rate, he has the kind of batted ball profile that should work extremely well with the Yankees’ infield since it’s a pretty strong unit defensively. We’ve also seen him throw some four-seamers and I think it’s a pitch that he should try to utilize more often because of the slot he releases from and the solid movement.
With the bullpen needing help, Cronin is an obvious fit, but could he fit in with the high-leverage weapons like Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver despite not having an incredible track record before 2024?
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The appeal for someone like Tanner Scott is obvious; he’s a proven closer who would win NL Reliever of the Year if he wasn’t going to be traded which could take him out of the National League. With the prices for bullpen upgrades, the Yankees might be best suited to go after names like Cronin who aren’t project relievers, but fly under the radar compared to the big-time closer options.
Declan Cronin has the results alongside the upside to become more than he already is, as I detailed with his four-seamer that should profile very well up in the zone. I also want to point out that Cronin has not allowed a single home run this season, and the Yankees will have him under control for five more seasons after 2024. Miami is reportedly getting calls on the right-hander, and given that Peter Bendix comes from the Tampa Bay Rays braintrust, it wouldn’t be stunning to see him ship off a controllable reliever in a seller’s market.
A low-cost reliever who may not fetch a haul at the deadline, Declan Cronin could leave the Yankees with chips on the table to get another bat (Yandy Diaz please) or pick up a starter. With Nestor Cortes apparently available, we could see Brian Cashman get creative and figure out a way to add to the rotation, bullpen, and offense with a little over 24 hours left to get some deals done.