Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Have Elite Southpaw at Top of Free Agency Priorities

The New York Yankees have their eye on this left-handed reliever in free agency.

Grant Young

Aug 7, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Andrew Chafin (59) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Aug 7, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Andrew Chafin (59) in action during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees only have two left-handed pitchers on their roster.

These are Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, both of whom are starting pitchers. Therefore, one of the top priorities for New York's front office in free agency for the rest of this offseason for acquiring southpaw relief pitchers.

Some analysts have predicted that the Yankees are likely to reunite with left-handed reliever Tim Hill, who amassed a 3-0 record with a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings pitched for New York in 2024. However, Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted another lefty that the Yankees have their eye on in a December 26 article.

"Andrew Chafin is high on the Yankees’ list of lefty pen targets," Heyman wrote.

Chafin that makes sense for the Yankees for multiple reasons. He has proven to be one of the most reliable left-handed relievers in baseball since making his MLB debut in 2014, which is proven by his career 3.42 ERA. The 34-year-old also went 4-3 with a 3.51 ERA in 56.1 innings with the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers (who he was traded to at the trade deadline) in 2024.

Given the Yankees already have both Luke Weaver and Devin Williams at the back end of their bullpen, they likely wouldn't need Chafin or any other additional reliever to close games in 2025.

The only potential problem with Chafin is that he would have to cut his luscious hair in order to adhere to the Yankees' iconic appearance policy — although we imagine he'd be willing to do so.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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