BRINGIN’ SEVY BACK!
Yanks lock up ace Luis on team-friendly four-year, $40 million extension to avoid arbitration:
TAMPA — It’s not the numbers. When Yankee manager Aaron Boone looks at his fully stocked bullpen, he is excited about the differences. With a healthy Zack Britton back and Adam Ottavino signed this winter, the Yankees have so many ways to attack hitters — and not just late in games.
The Yankees have four guys with closing experience, including their actual closer, Aroldis Chapman, who came into camp healthy, Boone said. Britton almost won a Cy Young as a closer and Dellin Betances has been the Yankees ninth-inning man in the
past. Ottavino did some closing with the Rockies as well.
“I think that versatility that has me excited right now, because they’re all a little bit different,” Boone. “You talk about bringing Ottavino in, the kind of righty-righty matchup that presents a problem. If you are a right-handed hitter against him, that’s a problem. With (Chad) Green and Dellin and their ability to get lefties out from the right side. Obviously, we have Chappy and Zach Britton, healthy and with the sinker ball he brings. We have a lot of different looks; sliders, sinkers, guys who pitch four seams at the top of the zone, and Chappy who is Chappy at the end.
“Yeah, we’ve got a lot of really good pitchers,” Boone said. “But I think they complement each other really well, which is exciting for me.”
And it’s not just Boone who is excited about the Yankees’ bullpen. Everyone is interested to see if GM Brian Cashman’s plan to invest heavily in his relievers will counteract teams that spend so much on big hitters.
Last season, the Yankees bullpen posted a 9.7 WAR, the highest of any group of relievers in major league history, according to Fangraphs. Many feel that with the addition of Britton and Ottavino, they could make history again.