Yankees bullpen coach Mike Harkey is in his second stint with the team, but has overseen the pitching staff since 2008, save for a three-year gap when he was the Diamondbacks pitching coach from 2013 to 2015.
But Harkey believes this year’s pitching staff has more depth than any Yankee team he’s been a part of, at least since the franchise’s last World Series title.
“In my 12 years here, probably since 2009-2011, this is probably the most depth we’ve had from starter to closer in a long time,” Harkey said in a Zoom call with reporters on Saturday. “I know it’s weird talking about us losing [Zack] Britton, but I still think depth-wise we’re still pretty well situated.”
The Yankees’ bullpen was a big reason for their last championship, with Phil Hughes sliding into a big setup role, David Robertson navigating through some improbable jams and Damaso Marte retiring key lefty opponents, all supporting the great Mariano Rivera. But that year’s rotation did have its questions in the back end, leading manager Joe Girardi to stick with three starters for the team’s postseason run in CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte.
This year’s group appears to have similar questions beyond ace Gerrit Cole, with new acquisitions like Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon looking to erase years’ worth of recent injury history, while youngsters like Deivi Garcia will try and put together a full season at the major league level. But Harkey believes the options the Yankees have are a reason to be excited rather than concerned heading into the 2021 campaign.
“A lot of consistency is what I see…just watching them makes us feel really excited about what we’re capable of doing this year, as opposed to the past when we’ve probably been a little short in that aspect as far as pitching is concerned,” Harkey said. “But now, it’s pretty exciting.”
That depth already took a hit with Britton going down due to surgery to remove a bone chip in his left elbow, but more new acquisitions can slide into key bullpen roles to help make up for Britton’s absence, which is expected to last until the All-Star break.
“We have so many options,” Harkey said. “You talk about us adding Justin Wilson and Darren O’Day…I think with that aspect, it gives us a lot more options to give us a chance to give guys rest, especially when you’re talking about getting high-leverage outs.”
The Yankees pitching staff has often been a point of concern in recent years, especially once the postseason arrives. Lack of options led to Aaron Boone using Garcia in game two of last year’s ALDS, only to be immediately relieved by JA Happ. But if arms like Kluber and Taillon are able to stay healthy, Yankees fans may finally see the depth that Harkey and the Yanks have been searching for since their last World Series victory.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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