MLB Rumors: New York Yankees Turn to Budget-Friendly Bullpen Options, Quest to Strengthen Pitching Depth Continues

It’s a high-stakes but surprisingly low-cost battle for the New York Yankees. While one can question whether the Pinstripes have signed sufficient stars, there’s no argument that they have improved most of their squad. But all of that can go in vain if they do not work on their lacking bullpen. Luckily for them, the market is flush with good relievers, but surprisingly, the Bombers aren’t going bombs to the wall for these players. 

Even though the bullpen additions will cost little, the Yankees are reluctant to invest even that much. Either due to high payroll or current market conditions, an unwilling air surrounds the Bronx, and that air could be toxic to the Yankee Nation’s dream of no. 28.

New York Yankees look unwilling to spend more 

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the apparent strategy of the Yankees for a bullpen addition this offseason. Due to the apparent high number of pitchers in the market, the Yankees aren’t interested in spending high amounts for them. As a result, as Heyman said – “They (Yankees) are alleged to be making low offers, perhaps due to the calendar or a supply-demand perception.”

Heyman pointed out that the Pinstripes were in talks with Héctor Neris, Phil Maton, Ryan Brasier, and Wandy Peralta. There’s also Keynan Middleton available in the market as well. With so many players to choose from, the Yankees certainly have an advantage. But what if there’s more to this than what meets the eye?

There’s no denying that the Yankees have been burnt once because of the Carlos Rodon $162 million deal. The effects of it were visible in their pursuit of Blake Snell where the Pinstripes were unwilling to above their $150 million offer. So it’s clear that the team isn’t interested in giving huge offers to pitchers as of now. This is even truer for bullpen additions – where they still have some options. 

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Despite trading away their top prospects, the Yankees bullpen still has a few trusted hands in it. Clay Holmes, Ian Hamilton, Nick Ramirez, and Victor Gonzalez are worth taking a chance on. So as it stands, a low-cost reunion could be the future of the Yankees.

A reunion looking more and more obvious 

YES’ Jack Curry had shared that the Yankees were very far from Neris’ valuation. This pointed toward the team going for either Wandy Peralta or Keynan Middleton. Even Jon Heyman finds the Keynan Middleton reunion quite obvious because of his extremely low costs. The same can be said for Peralta, but he’s also looking for a two-year contract. He showed a mild decline in 2023. Are the Pinstripes willing to give two years to him?

To sum up, despite an extremely high-stakes battle, the New York Yankees are choosing a low-cost option. Could this be a smart strategy or could this rigidity affect their World Series chances?

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