Yankees Reportedly Discussing These 3 Free Agent Relievers

The New York Yankees have their eyes on three veteran free agent relievers.
Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Tim Hill (54) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers  in the fifth inning for game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Tim Hill (54) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth inning for game two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

One of the most common discussion points as it pertains to the New York Yankees' current roster construction is their lack of left-handed relievers.

In fact, they don't have a single southpaw bullpen piece in their entire 40-man roster. While this is concerning, there's little doubt that the Yankees are actively trying to address this deficiency. The more pressing question is which available lefties they're most interested in acquiring.

The Athletic's Brendan Cuty provided some insight on this in a January 15 article that wrote, "As of Tuesday, the team’s biggest priority seemed to be adding a left-handed reliever, with names such as Tim Hill, Brooks Raley and Andrew Chafin each being discussed, according to a league source."

None of these three relievers being linked to the Yankees comes as a surprise, as these names have all been connected to New York at various points this offseason.

In a January 3 article, New York Post's Dan Martin wrote, "[The Yankees not having a left-handed reliever on their 40-man roster] could still change as they remain in communication with Tim Hill". He also added, "Andrew Chafin, another veteran lefty, remains on the free agent market and theYankees have expressed interest in the 34-year-old in the past."

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon also discussed the Yankees having "checked in" on Raley in a January 11 article.

While there are other high-level lefty relievers available in addition to these three names, it seems that the Yankees' interest is in Hill, Raley, and Chafin at this point. Perhaps a signing announcement regarding one of them is coming soon.


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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for On SI. 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. You can follow him on X: @GrvntYoung