4 Yankees offseason mistakes so far, and how to fix them

By Tim Boyle | Jan 9, 2023

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 14: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) (L-R) Anthony Rizzo #48, Aaron Judge #99 and Aaron Hicks #31 of the New York Yankees look on against the Cleveland Guardians during game two of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 14, 2022 in New York, New York. The Guardians defeated the Yankees 4-2 in ten innings. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

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The New York Yankees should have added more to the bullpen. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

3) Yankees offseason mistake: Improving the bullpen with only Tommy Kahnle

The Yankees had a strong bullpen last year. Their next-man-up mentality helped them get through a year of many injuries. Several longtime Yankees relievers are now gone. They’ve been replaced by mostly players returning from the organization last year. Guys like Lou Trivino and Scott Effross were acquired at last year’s trade deadline with the expectation of sticking around for a while.

Tommy Kahnle was the most significant free agent addition made by the Yankees this offseason. You may remember him from mid-2017 through the 2020 season when he made a single relief appearance. Kahnle was good for the Yankees at times and atrocious at others. After battling some injuries, they thought enough of him to reunite.

The deal itself isn’t a bad one. For two seasons, New York will pay him $5.75 million. For a guy who has tossed only 13.2 big league innings after the 2019 season, it does come with its own risk.

The mistake for the team is not doing more. There are ways for them to build up the bullpen better. Even if it means trading one of their younger and more controllable pieces, it’s the right thing to do. In fact, maybe all it takes is a single big league reliever plus a mid-level prospect to help out the lineup.

In free agency, the Yankees have some more options. A single addition can be all it takes to correct this.

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