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Yankees' Cashman to address pitching needs in offseason

Tom Szczerbowski / Getty Images Sport / Getty

After trading away Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller for huge returns at the trade deadline, the New York Yankees will head into the offseason with a simple plan - upgrade the pitching staff.

"We're going to go through everything. We've had our scouting meetings. The areas that we would like to focus on (are) the bullpen and starting pitching," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told Christian Red of the Daily News.

"I think the biggest focus will be pitching, pitching, pitching."

After the Chapman and Miller trades, the Yankees bullpen struggled down the stretch, posting a season-ending 4.15 FIP compared to 3.51 in the first half, seeing a substantial increase in BB/9 (2.49 to 4.03).

Unlike their bullpen which was consistent early on, the Yankees' starting rotation was far from dominant in 2016, posting the 12th-highest ERA (4.44) and the fourth-highest HR/9 (1.44), leading to 155 home runs allowed - the franchise's most since 1988. It's possible the Yankees become involved in the free-agent market once again, with rumors connecting them to starter Rich Hill, and a possible reunion with Chapman.

"And if there are opportunities that come in, the winds of change, if they blow in and it creates an opportunity of interest then we'll pursue it," Cashman said.

"We'll see. We have a lot of commitment on payroll. It doesn't mean we're not going to try to be active. We want to do things that are smart and strategic."

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