News Report: Yankees could make major improvement to bullpen with free agent signing….

If New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wants speed, he should turn to free agent Jordan Hicks, officially signed by the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays.

Hicks is a 27-year-old free agent, a young age for a player who still has significant potential. Hicks is considered one of the most expensive bullpen arms on the market, but his roster is extremely enticing, especially with a coach like Matt Blake who could do wonders with his streak.According to The Athletic, the Yankees are among several other teams interested in Hicks. Of course, after landing Juan Soto and his estimated $30 million in arbitration, the Yankees need to allocate their financial resources more efficiently. They desperately need another starter, which could be Yoshinobu Yamamoto, or a smaller option where they could spend a little more at other positions, like Hicks in the bullpen. Why the Yankees are eyeing Jordan HicksLet’s take a look at Hicks, who pitched 65.2 innings last season and posted a 3.29 ERA, 11.1 strikeouts per nine, a left-on-base rate of 72.1% and a Ground ball rate of 58.3%. He’s had a few inconsistent seasons, but his fastball regularly reaches speeds above 100 mph. He has a sinker, a sweeper, a four-seam fastball and throws in a changeup. Last season, his sinker posted a .259 batting average and his sweeper posted a .136 batting average. Going from a 100 mph sinker to an 87 mph sweeper certainly introduces some deception. His sweeper creates league-average movement, but Blake may be able to tweak his fundamentals and get more breathing room on his throws. A sinker with this speed and 6% more horizontal movement than the average pitcher is incredibly difficult to hit. It can be a little inconsistent with its accuracy, but that’s to be expected at this speed. He ranks in the 96th percentile in ground ball percentage and in the 100th percentile in fastball velocity. Oddly, his whiff rate is only in the 66th percentile and he gives up too many walks. Some hyperspecific training and fundamental adjustments could further improve his arm, but it will be an expensive asset. The Yankees signed Tommy Kahnle to a two-year, $11.5 million contract last offseason. He has had tremendous success in finding cost-effective weapons and turning them into productive players. They may prefer to spend more on a starting pitcher and go for a cheaper option in the bullpen.