The Yankees’ approach toward constructing the roster this season has been ... varied to say the least. The self-imposed mandate to avoid the luxury tax threshold has placed additional constraints on the already-difficult task of signing players at the right price. Therefore, the Yankees have had to roll out a high-variance, high-reward strategy to plug holes in the roster, whereas in previous years they would have been more flexible to the idea of pursuing reliable options.
Particularly as it pertains to the pitching staff, the vacancies in the rotation and bullpen have been filled with a patchwork of veteran pitchers, players returning from injury, and fringe major leaguers.