The New York Yankees bullpen is still in need of left-handed depth. In fact, as of this week, the defending American League champions do not have a single left-handed pitcher in their relief corps, leaving manager Aaron Boone handcuffed when it comes to countering lefty hitters. Starters Max Fried and Carlos Rodon are currently the only southpaws on the entire Yankees pitching staff.
The Yankees have been reportedly dancing around the idea of reacquiring 34-year-old Tim Hill, a lefty journeyman who was released by the Chicago White Sox on June 18 last season, only to sign with the Yankees two days later. He appeared in 35 games with New York, posting a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings there after a disastrous 5.87 ERA in 27 innings for Chicago.
But “Fireside Yankees” podcast host and writer for Empire Sports Media Ryan Garcia proposed an idea on Wednesday that he said would fit the Yankees better than Hill. According to Garcia’s trade pitch, the Yankees would send two of their better prospects to Miami in exchange for Marlins 26-year-old lefty Andrew Nardi.
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The Marlins’ 2019 16th-round draft pick out of Arizona comes off a season when he posted a bloated 5.07 ERA, but according to an analysis by Garcia, Nardi’s underlying advanced metrics suggest that “Nardi wasn’t much different than he was last year when he posted a 2.67 ERA, he just ran into some less fortunate luck and underperformed. The Yankees are more focused on how a pitcher manages contact and their K-BB percent, not their ERA, and Nardi would fit them like a glove.”
In 2024, Nardi’s strikeout percentage was an impressive 33.3 percent against a solid 8.6 percent walk rate. That translates to a K-BB percentage figure of 24.8 percent — the best of his three-year career.
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As for how he manages contact, according to Statcast Nardi’s hard-hit ball rate of 34.7 pe