New York Yankees Showing Interest In Star Reliever For Back Of Bullpen
The New York Yankees are reportedly finished adding top starting pitching after landing Marcus Stroman on a two-year, $37 million deal.
So what's next?
According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, the Yankees are focused on beefing up their bullpen and have shown interest in right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson.
Stephenson dominated last season after getting traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Tampa Bay Rays in June. In 42 games with Tampa, the righty posted a 2.35 ERA and 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings.
It is clear that Stephenson is one of the best relievers left on a market that hasn't moved much due to the pending decision of elite free agent closer Josh Hader.
It is also evident that Stephenson will not come cheap after the dazzling campaign he produced in 2023.
That said, last season was a bit of an outlier for the 30-year-old, who holds a career 4.64 ERA across eight big-league seasons.
To this point, the Yankees have not been reported to be in on Hader, who would give them the closer they need, shifting Clay Holmes to a setup role. They are also still interested in bringing back lefty Wandy Peralta, so they have options in case they are unable to sign Stephenson.
But based off last year, Stephenson would be a strong addition to the Yankees' pen.
The Yankees lost Michael King in the Juan Soto trade, so they will need at least another high-leverage arm to fill that void in the bullpen.
