Fansided

Trading for one of these relievers could solidify the Yankees bullpen

By Rucker Haringey

KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 15: Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium on May 15, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 15: Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals pitches in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium on May 15, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 18: Craig Stammen #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 18, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 18: Craig Stammen #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 18, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

5. Craig Stammen

The Padres currently find themselves last in the NL West, but they can’t blame Stammen for their troubles. The former Nationals reliever has been dominant out of the pen for San Diego.

He’s pitched 28.2 innings on the season and sports an excellent ERA of just 1.88. It’s natural to expect that to rise a little as the year progresses, but outside of injuries he’s really been consistent since 2011. The fact that he’s also struck out over one batter per inning this season tells you that his stuff is still there.

At 34 years of age the Yankees shouldn’t part with a ton to acquire Stammen. It’s unlikely that he’s going to get any better than he is today. Obviously, counting on relievers to pitch well into their late 30s is a risk.

On the bright side, he would come with another year of low-cost team control. The Padres only owe him $2.25 million or next season. He could easily turn into a nice two-year member of the Yankees bullpen.

A fringe regular or medium prospect should be enough to pry him away from the Padres. The real question on Stammen is whether or not he’s the Padres’ reliever highest on the Yankees shopping list. More on that later.

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