With the glaring need for both starting pitching and relief help for the New York Yankees, Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner will have to be hard at work this offseason to accomplish that goal.
On the surface, it seems likely that the Yankees could lose both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
Ultimately, a lot of this will stem from how much the Yankees are willing to pay both players, but it’s also a bit unfair to suggest that they should give them what they want.
While Williams and Weaver have both shown a lot throughout their careers, especially Williams, who was on pace to be a Hall of Famer if he continued at his past levels, the price might be a bit too high.
Despite that reality, it remains uncertain what the bullpen would look like without both players.
According to the latest from Brian Murphy of MLB.com, the Yankees understand they need bullpen help, and even if they don’t land Williams and Weaver on new deals, it’s very likely that they’ll go out and make necessary moves to land another bullpen arm.
“The Yankees re-signed southpaw swingman Ryan Yarbrough, but another impact arm should be on their to-do list. The club has expressed interest in Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai and former Yankees pitcher Michael King.
“And that's to say nothing of the bullpen, where there are holes to fill as well. The cupboard isn't bare; David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval and Tim Hill are still around, but Devin Williams, Luke Weaver and others must be replaced. The good news for the Yankees is that even if they don't re-sign Williams and/or Weaver -- and they still might -- this year's class of free-agent relievers is flush with high-quality late-inning arms,” he wrote.
It’s tough to say exactly what the Yankees need in the bullpen, considering they probably have their closer role set with David Bednar.
I wouldn’t be too surprised, however, if the Yankees go after another closer, as those are typically the arms with the best stuff in baseball.
We'll see soon, as the offseason is fully underway.