The Yankees had to claw their way to finding an effective lefty in the bullpen last season. They found a gem in Tim Hill, but he is also a free agent, though a reunion is possible if they don’t sign Chafin. Hill was great at limiting damage but struggled to generate whiffs, which may make Chafin a better fit for the bullpen.
The Yankees have prioritized adding strikeout stuff in the bullpen this offseason, as last season’s bullpen consistently struggled to put hitters away. They also got very little out of their lefties outside of Hill, as Victor Gonzalez and Caleb Ferguson were underwhelming before they were essentially replaced with Hill and Tim Mayza.
New York has a few areas they would like to address before the offseason is finished. Chafin could be a quality signing to give the Yankees one of the deepest bullpens in baseball.
However, his strikeout stuff could play really well out of the Yankees’ bullpen, and he would give them a reliable lefty that could come in any situation of games. He has plenty of experience as a high-leverage arm, mostly as a setup man. Chafin has 20 career saves, 17 of which have come since the 2021 season.
