5 under-the-radar free agents the Yankees should target this winter

BRONX, NY - OCTOBER 17: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees watches batting practice as General Manager Brian Cashman looks on prior to Game 4 of the ALCS between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, October 17, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 18: Julio Teheran #49 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at SunTrust Park on September 18, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

3. Julio Teheran

The argument for signing a starter like Teheran is identical to the argument for inking Roark. He simply represents a less-reliable option with more upside for Cashman to investigate.

The bad news regarding Teheran is that he no longer sports the electric velocity that made him such a highly touted prospect. Instead, he is now one of the only true sinkerball pitchers left in MLB. That could play really well given the small confines of Yankee Stadium.

On the other hand, Teheran does give up a fair amount of home runs, which could be a deal killer from Cashman’s perspective. The 22 long balls he surrendered in just over 174 innings in 2019 isn’t terrible, but that number could easily rise if he’s forced to battle against American League pitching for a full season.

The good news is that Teheran did manage to pitch to a better ERA than Roark did last season. If he could stay around his 3.81 mark from last year he could slot into the top half of the Yankees’ rotation.

The other big question regarding Teheran is what sort of deal he will be looking for on the open market. It’s possible he’ll be looking to be compensated as a No. 2 starter. If that happens, the Yankees will take a hard pass and move on to more affordable options.

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