The New York Yankees are reportedly planning to add another bullpen arm in hopes of filling the void left by retired former closer Mariano Rivera.
According to Pinstripe Alley, the Yankees are aggressively looking for another pitcher, and sources indicated that former Boston Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan is on top of their list.
"It seems that the Yankees might still be looking around for available bullpen arms in an attempt to make up for the loss of Mariano Rivera. Moving David Robertson into the closer role has, in turn, moved Shawn Kelley into a setup role, but it's also left their corps of relievers a little on the shallow side," Pinstripe Alley noted.
ESPN recently reported that Hanrahan will hold a showcase next week to prove that he can still pitch in the big league despite undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Hanrahan is coming off a stint with the Red Sox wherein he played the closer role. However, the 32-year-old relief pitcher went down with a torn flexor tendon and UCL ligament, which eventually led to Koji Uehara's rise, leaving Harahan with no place in Boston's bullpen.
Yankees' scouts will reportedly be present in the upcoming showcase to see if Hanrahan, who was known for his excellent fastball and slider, is capable of making an impact this season.
"Yankee scouts will likely be looking first at how he's throwing, and second at how fast he's throwing. Velocity might be important, but you want to see him able to throw free and easy without much effort or discomfort," Pinstripe Alley noted.
But aside from the Yankees, CBS Sports also indicated that the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Red Sox are also interested in Hanrahan.
The Mets are reportedly one of the frontrunners as the team is looking for a closer to take the place of Bobby Parnell, who recently underwent Tommy John surgery.
The Red Sox are also in a hunt for a closer as they are currently without Uehara, and reports indicated that Boston will be an ideal landing spot for Hanrahan, considering the fact that he did not get fair shake in his lone season at Fenway Park.
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