When the Yankees traded for Clay Holmes last July, the general collective response was rather simply, “Why?” Holmes, after all, had a 4.93 ERA and a 4.07 FIP with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he allowed almost one and a half batters to reach per inning. The Yankees, however, simplified his approach, getting him to drop his four-seamer and curveball to become a two-pitch, sinker-slider pitcher. Now, Holmes has become one of the best relief pitchers in baseball.
Since New York is also looking to add an outfielder and a starting pitcher, GM Brian Cashman might decide to go bargain-bin shopping to bolster their relief depth, looking for a low-cost pitcher who may be underperforming his actual stuff on a bad team.