New York Yankees to strengthen bull-pen for 2012 – MLB Update
The New York Yankees crashed out of the postseason without making an impact this year, largely due to insufficient rotation. The Yankees were reckoned as an offensive powerhouse since the inception of the season, but their pitching depth was always under
the radar.
This assertion strengthened when the Yankees failed in the postseason and the management, in a bid to eradicate this problem, is now optimistic to attract big names to the ballclub to assist CC Sabathia in the pitching rotation.
The Yankees signed a five-year 122-million-dollar deal with their left-handed ace, keeping him onboard till 2016, for a minimum. With the position of ace filled, general manager Brian Cashman is now on a hunt for pitchers for the remaining spots. This area,
which the management overlooked in the offseason last year, is now the top-priority of the ballclub and Cashman has hinted that finance is not an issue for the Yankees, needless to say.
“We’ll explore all our opportunities and we’ll explore what the market is on various free agents,” Cashman said. “Obviously our limits are at a higher level than certain other clubs, but we have limits nonetheless.”
Cashman asserted that with Sabathia in the ranks, the ballclub has time to ponder over the various choices available and once a choice has been made, attracting the player to play for the Yankees should not be an issue. He furthered that Ivan Nova, Phil
Hughes and A.J. Burnett will continue to play an important role in the rotation, but reiterated that an experienced starter will be essential to bolster the bull-pen.
The Yankees have several players to look for in the free market, C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle and Roy Oswalt being the frontrunners. Even though Wilson has expressed his desire to continue playing for the Rangers, Cashman asserted that the club may make a lucrative
offer if the bull-pen needs him.
Cashman hinted that the management might not be interested in signing Oswalt, who has had back problems since his time with the Houston Astros. In this situation, Buehrle seems to be the only viable option for the Yankees, with 12 years of experience and
an average of 15 wins per season. However, the Washington Nationals have also expressed their desire for the starter and it remains to be seen which ballclub succeeds in signing the starter.
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