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6 hours ago
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The New York Yankees' bullpen issues, if you can call them that, may solve themselves.
Devin Williams got off to an awful start to the season, but looked good during eighth-inning duty on Monday. Meanwhile, Luke Weaver has done nothing but succeed since first donning a Yankees uniform, and perhaps he'll simply lock down the closer role for good.
With all that said, this is a Yankees team that's all-in on a championship run, and the fact that they made a closer change less than a month into the season has to register as at least a teeny bit of a concern.
The Yankees should be kept in mind moving into the summer as a team that could make some waves in the relief pitching market when the trade deadline arrives. One baseball writer went as far as to propose a specific prospect package New York could swap for a two-time All-Star.
On Wednesday, Dylan Sanders of Yankees on SI pitched a three-prospect haul for St. Louis Cardinals fireballer Ryan Helsley: left-handed pitcher Brock Selvidge, infielder Jorbit Vivas, and right-handed pitcher Greysen Carter.
"This is a competitive trade offer with three top-30 prospects who could all make the St. Louis roster in the next couple of years," Sanders wrote.
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"It might seem like overkill for New York to add another arm to a bullpen that has been good overall, but they look like they can compete for a World Series with this roster."
The 30-year-old Helsley was last year's National League Reliever of the Year, racking up a career-best 49 saves. He's got a 3.60 ERA through his first 10 innings this season, but he's still managed to rack up 10 strikeouts.
With an $8 million salary and free agency looming, Helsley is the textbook trade deadline rental. St. Louis should be out of the race by July, so the real question will be whether the Yankees show the most urgency to bring him to their squad.
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