Yankees still missing key lefty reliever as free agency drags on

At this point in the offseason, the Yankees have a pretty good idea of what the back end of their bullpen will look like, with newly acquired Devin Williams sliding into the closer role and Luke Weaver setting up the ex-Brewer and finishing games on occasion. They’re hoping for key roles to be filled by Ian Hamilton, Mark Leiter Jr.and the now-healthy Jonathan Loaisiga — and that they can get continued success from Jake Cousins. What they don’t have anywhere on the 40-man roster is a left-handed reliever. That could still change as they remain in communication with Tim Hill, a free agent after his emergence as a reliable piece late last year after his mid-season arrival to The Bronx following his release by the historically bad White Sox. Andrew Chafin, another veteran lefty, remains on the free agent market and the Yankees have expressed interest in the 34-year-old in the past. The Yankees tried to tackle this issue a year ago in a pair of trades, when they acquired Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez from the Dodgers in separate trades.

Neither reliever stuck in The Bronx, as Gonzalez was released and Ferguson was shipped to Houston. They later took a flier on Tim Mayza, who also remains a free agent.  Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+.Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! A reunion with Tommy Kahnle hasn’t been ruled out, as the right-hander continued to be effective against lefties last year. As for Hill, the 34-year-old made his Yankees debut June 20 and was particularly effective over the last month and a half of the regular season, with a WHIP of 0.850 over his final 17 appearances.

And he pitched well in the postseason, as well. The Yankees are in the process of reconfiguring their bullpen again after Clay Holmes — who l...