Fansided

5 under-the-radar starting pitching targets for the Yankees

By Rucker Haringey

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: (NEW YORK DALIES OUT) Taijuan Walker #00 of the Toronto Blue Jays warms up before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 15, 2020 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 20-6. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: (NEW YORK DALIES OUT) Taijuan Walker #00 of the Toronto Blue Jays warms up before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 15, 2020 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 20-6. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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Yankees free agency, Jose Urena
MIAMI, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 17: Jose Urena #62 of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Marlins Park on September 17, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Pick Analysis. RHP. player. 82. Scouting Report. Last Team: Miami Marlins. Jose Urena. 3

Urena took the ball for the Marlins on Opening Day last season, but Miami chose to let him hit free agency rather than give him a raise in 2020. Anyone who signs him will hope to see him revert to his 2018 form where he gobbled up 174 innings with an ERA of just under 4.

The 6-foot-2 right-hander will pitch at age 29 next season so it’s possible that he’s still got a little bit of untapped potential left in his arm. The chances of him becoming a postseason starter for the Yankees are slim, but it’s not out of the question. That alone makes him a player worth gambling on.

Urena’s lack of swing-and-miss stuff is troubling. He only struck out 15 batters in 23 innings last year. That’s a big reason why his ERA soared to 5.40 on the season. Yankees scouts will need to take a close look at his mechanics to see if they believe his issues are fixable.

If they do see something they believe can be improved, Urena could turn into a serious bargain. He’s even a guy the Yankees might be willing to sign to a multi-year deal that would carry him through his prime. Urena might look for $8-10 million per season, but he’s not going to get it. The Yankees might get him at a bargain if they can limit his annual average salary to something in the $4-5 million range.

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