The Yankees are synonymous with having a great bullpen. In the dynasty of the late 90s with the core-four, the best player in the core-four was the greatest closer of all time. The last time the Yankees were in an ALCS Game 7, they had the best bullpen in baseball. In 2020 the Yankees bullpen was mostly meh, as they were not superb in any regard. They were 16th in ERA, 20th in FIP, 15th in xFIP, and 15th in SIERA is just not good at all. I think they can fix this problem because if they do, it could lead to them winning their 28th title.
Yankees Need to Address the Middle Innings
The New York Yankees’ main issues stem from getting the fifth, sixth and seventh innings down pat. With games being back to back in October and in the regular season, you can’t have Britton, Green, and Chapman come out for the last three to four innings every game. The Yankees need pitchers to eat up innings that are going to be productive in order for them to win games. Their bullpen lacks that desperately, and if they don’t add any pieces to help with that, their bullpen is toast.
Free Agency Can Bolster the Yankees Bullpen
The Yankees have the luxury of a free-agent class with a bunch of quality arms. With the Yankees needing to get reliable arms, they could sign a few solid relievers and realistically call it a day on that front. They have three really good relievers already, so getting one or two solid cheap relievers on the market could get the job done.
A guy like Cam Bedrosian could be a solid reliever for the Yankees, as he’s had a 3.66 ERA and 3.95 SIERA since 2017. Another guy they could target is Roberto Osuna, who could be lightning in a bottle for them. Free agency is a place to explore your options, but what about developing young guns?
Yankees Need to Starting Getting Young Guys In the Mix
Having Jonathan Loaisiga’s power fastball is an asset, and that cannot be underutilized. He has a career 3.96 SIERA and a 97 mph fastball, wasting that would be a baseball crime. They also have Nick Nelson who could break out; although he did get rocked in 2020, he has filthy stuff. The Yankees can try to get these youngsters to give them quality innings as well, something Matt Blake will try to do in 2021.
Yankees Need to Start Using the Opener
The Yankees have utilized the opener before, just like the Dodgers and Rays in the postseason. Unlike those two teams, however, the Yankees’ manpower to do it is quite shallow. Having a great bullpen again would allow them to use a strategy that could give them some wins if a starter goes down. I think they have guys like Clarke Schmidt and Domingo German who could be the filler for three to four innings, while the bullpen finishes up the job.
Aaron Boone Needs Support From His Bullpen
I don’t love Aaron Boone, but it’s not his fault that his bullpen has been absolutely terrible. Aaron Boone definitely didn’t help in that regard at all, so I’m not going to absolve him, but this is quite ridiculous. The man saw Adam Ottavino and Chad Green give up double-digit runs in one inning. JA Happ basically quit on the team in the ALDS. You need to give your manager actual relievers to use, and if you don’t? Then don’t expect to be winning many games in October. It’s that simple folks.
However the Yankees manage to get it done, one thing is certain; this bullpen needs a new look. Getting back to having reliable arms is something the team needs to do before another run at a championship in 2021.
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