The New York Yankees have been searching for an infielder and pitcher all offseason. The two pitchers New York was targeting were Yu Darvish and Gerrit Cole, but they have since backed out of the Darvish race and Cole was traded to the Astros. Baltimore Orioles star third baseman Manny Machado has also been linked to the Bronx due to the inexperienced talent New York has in the infield.
The Yankees have shown interest in these positions because the players who are currently on the roster either struggled last season or are young and unproven. As such here are three players that need to step up for the Yankees in 2018.
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1.) Masahiro Tanaka, SP
Tanaka suffered his worst season since joining the Yankees in 2014, posting a 13-12 record with a 4.74 ERA in 178.1 innings pitched. Tanaka was brought over from Japan to be the ace in the Yankees pitching rotation and made the AL All-Star team in his first season - but hasn't returned since. The uncertainty around Tanaka's pitching and health is a major reason why the Yankees were rumored for multiple starting pitchers this offseason, so having him step up will be key for New York.
2.) Sonny Gray, SP
The Yankees and right-handed pitcher Sonny Gray avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.5 million contract on January 12. Now it's time for Gray to bounce back after a disappointing season in New York. Gray started 11 games for the Yankees last season and finished with a 4-7 record and a 3.72 ERA. He allowed 11 home runs in 65.1 innings pitched and in order for him to be a reliable option going forward, he will need to prevent the baseball from going over the fence.
3.) Gleyber Torres, INF
Erik Boland of Newsday writes that Cashman is prepared to start a rookie at both second and third base in 2018. Torres is the number two prospect in baseball and played in both Double-A and Triple-A last season, hitting .287 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs in 55 combined games. He is a highly-touted player who will need to fill an important role in the infield for this young and exciting Yankees roster.
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