Trading for one of these relievers could solidify the Yankees bullpen

The New York Yankees need starting pitching, but there isn’t a ton available. That means Brian Cashman should target these five relievers as well.

Brian Cashman is going to need to get creative to solve the Yankees’ pitching issues. In an ideal world, he’d move prospects for an All-Star starting pitcher to go alongside Luis Severino in the rotation. Unfortunately, that player may not become available before the trade deadline.

That means Cashman may be forced to try to strengthen the bullpen instead. That isn’t a bad plan. Most believed it would be a real strength for the team heading into the season, but it’s been maddeningly inconsistent. Outside of Aroldis Chapman, you’d be hard pressed to point out a Yankees reliever that’s enjoying a good season.

That doesn’t mean it’s time to give up on the likes of Dellin Betances and David Robertson. It only means that adding extra options for Aaron Boone could prove beneficial down the stretch. Theoretically, the Yankees could add enough high-quality relievers to cover for a starting pitcher getting bounced early in a playoff outing. That strategy might require adding two or three top-shelf arms before the deadline.

The danger, of course, is that projecting bullpen arms into the future is risky business. Routinely pitchers come out of nowhere to post excellent seasons from the pen. Then, those same pitchers flame out and return to obscurity the next season. The key for Cashman will be to find relievers who have strong track records. One-year wonders should be of no interest to the Yankees.

Acquiring a top-flight starter will grab all the headlines as the season progresses, but Cashman will spend just as much energy trying to reinforce his bullpen. Keep an eye on these five relievers as potential trade targets for the Yankees prior to the deadline.