The one reliever the Yankees should sign

The Yankees love a super-bullpen. Over the last few years, the team has made it a top priority to have multiple elite relievers on the roster. Take 2018 for example. Down the stretch the club employed four legitimate big league closers, plus Chad Green, someone who could close for a bevy of other teams.

It appears that the Yankees want to stick to that strategy, as the team searches to add high-end relievers. Jon Heyman reports that the team has Adam Ottavino, Zach Britton, and David Robertson in play — the latter two of whom pitched for the Bombers in 2018. Heyman notes that the Yankees could walk away with two of the three, should the financials work out. Adding at least one, however, will be the squad’s main focus.

This begs the question: which of the top arms should the Yankees prioritize in signing? It’s worth taking a look at each pitcher.

Adam Ottavino
2018 pitching line: 77.2 IP, 2.43 ERA, 2.74 FIP, 12.98 K/9, 4.17 BB/9, 0.58 HR/9, 43% GB%
PSA Free Agent Target Article

Ottavino, 33, is a New York native who spent the 2018 season as a high-leverage reliever for the Rockies. He uses a slider as his go-to pitch, and it’s vicious. According to Brooks Baseball, it registered a 14.80% whiff rate. He also said that he could strike out Babe Ruth, so there’s that.

Zach Britton
2018 pitching line: 40.2 IP, 3.10 ERA, 4.22 FIP, 7.52 K/9, 4.65 BB/9, 0.66 HR/9, 73% GB%
PSA Free Agent Target Article

Britton, the groundball extraordinaire, joined the Bombers at the 2018 trade deadline. He continued to shake some rust off after starting the season on the disabled list, then hit his stride down the stretch. Heyman notes that the Yankees and Phillies are the “lead teams” for the left-hander.

David Robertson
2018 pitching line: 69.2 IP, 3.23 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 11.76 K/9, 3.36 BB/9, 0.90 HR/9, 45.3% GB%
PSA Free Agent Target Article

The Yankees know Robertson better than anyone. In two stints with the Bombers, D-Rob did it all. He worked as an ace-setup man, and he closed for the team in 2014. The 33-year-old is representing himself this winter, and has drawn heavy interest from a number of teams, including the Red Sox and Angels.

Of these three, who would you choose? Take our poll and then share your thoughts in the comment section below!