Yankees Have Interest in Taking a Flier on Intriguing Lefty Pitcher

The Yankees are reportedly among five teams showing interest in Kyle Hart after his standout season in the KBO.

Aug 25, 2020; Buffalo, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Kyle Hart (81) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Sahlen Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

While the New York Yankees have been linked to relievers Tim Hill and Andrew Chafin in their search for additional left-handed pitching, they are reportedly considering another intriguing arm capable of going multiple innings.

According to Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Yankees are among the teams showing interest in veteran southpaw Kyle Hart, who could serve as either a back-end starter or multi-inning reliever. Despite not pitching in the major leagues since 2020, FanGraphs ranked Hart No. 48 on its top 50 free agents list at the start of the offseason after he seemingly revived his career in South Korea.

Hart, 32, enjoyed a standout season in the KBO, going 13-3 with a 2.69 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, while striking out 182 batters over 157 innings across 26 starts for the NC Dinos. Other teams reportedly showing interest include the Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, and Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees are among the teams expressing interest in LHP Kyle Hart, per @WillSammon and @katiejwoo.

Hart, 32, won the Choi Dong-won Award with the NC Dinos in 2024, which is the KBO equivalent of the Cy Young Award.pic.twitter.com/NQpihzHc5B

— John Sparaco (@JohnSparaco) December 31, 2024

Hart’s lone MLB stint came in 2020 with the Boston Red Sox, but it was a struggle. In four appearances (three starts), the former 19th-round pick out of Indiana University posted an 0-1 record with a 15.55 ERA. He struck out 13 over 11 innings, but his then-88 mph fastball was hammered, with opponents batting .625 and posting a 1.375 slugging percentage against the pitch.

After that rough showing, Hart was outrighted off Boston's 40-man roster and spent most of 2021 and part of 2022 in Triple-A Worcester, before being demoted to Double-A Portland.

In 2023, Hart split time between the Philadelphia Phillies’ and Seattle Mariners’ farm systems before signing with the NC Dinos on a one-year, $500,000 contract last December. There, he set the KBO’s single-season strikeout record and won the Choi Dong-won Award, which is the Korean equivalent of the Cy Young Award.

Hart also used his time in South Korea to develop more velocity on his fastball. In an interview with MassLive's Chris Cotillo, he said his fastball now sits at 91 mph, occasionally touching 93-94 mph. His desire for a major league comeback, he admitted, is fueled by the embarrassment of his previous stint in front of empty stadiums, where he struggled to meet his own expectations while simultaneously grappling with the physical weakness caused by a serious bout with Lyme disease.

The 6-foot-5 hurler has since altered how he uses his pitches. While in Triple-A Tacoma, Hart focused on his slider, but in Korea, he relied more on his now low-to-mid 90s fastball. That change allowed him to use his well-commanded slider as a chase pitch more frequently.

Hart’s changeup also saw success in 2024, generating plus chase and miss rates. However, according to FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, its effectiveness depends more on his command than the movement itself. 

By varying the speed and shape of his breaking pitches, the low-slot lefty generated a 60% ground-ball rate, occasionally mixing in a cutter and a rarely used slow curveball to keep hitters off balance.

The Yankees currently have six major league starters on their 40-man roster: 2023 Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole, newly signed ace Max Fried, former All-Star Carlos Rodón, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, former first-rounder Clarke Schmidt, and former All-Star Marcus Stroman.

The team has already moved on from former All-Star Nestor Cortes Jr. in the Devin Williams trade and may decide to part ways with Stroman before the offseason ends. They are also in the running for Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, who will select his team after the 2025 international signing period opens Jan. 15, with a deadline of Jan. 23.

Whether or not the Yankees add or subtract any starters, Hart’s most likely role in the Bronx would be as a long reliever. That would still leave the door open for him to make occasional spot starts if any of the rotation arms end up on the injured list.