5 under the radar free agents the Yankees should sign

The Yankees won’t spend a fortune in free agency this offseason. That means these five under the radar targets should be of huge interest to New York.

Brian Cashman has made it clear that the Yankees will not be spending tons of money in free agency this offseason. That doesn’t mean New York won’t be active in terms of reshaping the roster. It simply means the Yankees must pass on signing superstars. Instead, New York will need to make do with some under-the-radar signings.

The good news is that Cashman and his front office have excelled at these sorts of transactions lately. Guys like Gio Urshela and Luke Voit didn’t arrive in the Bronx with significant fanfare. They did, however, provide the team with major production despite their relatively small acquisition cost.

The trick for the Yankees this offseason will be identifying the right underrated targets to sign. Cashman should pay particularly close attention to the following five players.

5. Robbie Ray

Ray is a player who has interested the Yankees for several years. Unfortunately, he picked a really bad time to post one of the worst seasons of his career. Pitching to a 6.62 ERA the year before you hit free agency is a great way to suppress your future earnings.

The upside to Ray is that he still displayed swing and miss stuff in 2020. He got hit around quite a bit, but he still managed to strike out 68 batters in 51.2 innings pitched. That’s a clear indication that he still has high-quality stuff at his disposal.

The Yankees do need to add another arm or two to their rotation this offseason. Ray would represent a moderate cost, high-upside potential option. He’s an excellent bet to bounce back with an improved 2021 campaign. The question of just how much he’ll bounce back is what will determine the free agent interest he enjoys this offseason. Don’t be surprised if the Yankees express strong interest in the talented southpaw.