Olney: Yanks Looking To Land Two Relievers

In his most recent blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney says that besides their outfield needs their main focus will be their bullpen and in all likelihood will look to land two relievers. Olney also said that "it's unclear whether New York GM Brian Cashman is going to be willing to give up his first-round pick in the draft for a set-up man."

Names Olney mentions as possible targets were Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzalez, Jose Valverde and Brandon Lyon.

To me getting the starting rotation in order should be the main priority, with the bullpen being issue number 3 behind the rotation and the outfield. Joe Girardi said yesterday that their main focus would be the starting rotation so I guess you can take this Olney article with a grain of salt. Especially when you consider their pen was a strength last year and they have a lot of good arms in their farm system.

Putting Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain in next year's rotation would changes things a lot, and the pen would then definitely need an addition or two, but like I said last week, that all depends on how much Cashman trusts Joba and Hughes. Peter Gammons wrote today that that is in fact their plan, at least as of now.

The Yankees are planning to go to spring training with Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain being programmed to start. "They can always go from starting to the bullpen, but it's tough going the other way," says Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

Cashman feels David Robertson and Damaso Marte can pitch the seventh and eighth innings in front of Mariano Rivera, but a Yankee run at Lackey, Ben Sheets or another starter hasn't been ruled out. The feeling inside the Yankees' offices is that there will be some payroll cutback, but how much is not known.

I don't know about you, but I'm not comfortable with David Robertson and Damaso Marte being the main setup men. Maybe they will need two relievers after all.