3 players who can replace New York Yankees cannon Chad Green while he recovers from Tommy John surgery
The New York Yankees will lose a key contributor for the rest of the season as right-handed pitcher Chad Green has been officially diagnosed with a torn ulner collateral ligament which will need season-ending Tommy John surgery. Green has been a staple in a bullpen that has been revered as one of the Yankees for the last half of a decade. Unfortunately for the club, it will be immensely difficult to find a reliever who is capable of replacing the level of production that Green brought.
Here are three potential replacements for New York Yankees pitcher Chad Green:
#3 Liam Hendriks
The closer for the Chicago White Sox is enjoying a reasonably successful season. However, the defending American League Central champions have done a complete 180 in the 2022 season, and the team finds itself with a losing record as May comes to a close. The White Sox have already dealt former closer Craig Kimbrel to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Hendriks is a massive investment salary-wise. The New York Yankees could offer some payroll relief while getting a top flight reliever for the back end of their bullpen.
#2 Aaron Loup
While the Los Angeles Angels are still in the hunt for an American League West title in 2022, there is still plenty of time before the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline for things to go awry. If things do fall apart for the Halos, left-handed reliever Aaron Loup will likely be a huge commodity on the market. Loup has been lights out against lefties and still has a level of solid production against right-handers.
The #Angels have 4 relievers with 15+ IP and a sub 2.10 ERA
Ryan Tepera
Aaron Loup
Oliver Ortega
Jaime Barria
"The #Angels have 4 relievers with 15+ IP and a sub 2.10 ERA" - @ Jared Tims
Loup would fill in admirably for Green as a member of the New York Yankees bullpen, as Green performed well against both right-handed and left-handed hitters.
#1 David Bednar
With the Pittsburgh Pirates in a rebuild, dominant relievers are a valuable commodity. Bednar is in the midst of an elite year for the Pirates as he owns an unreal 0.87 earned run average during the 2022 season. This would be massive move for the New York Yankees and require some serious prospects.
#Pirates David Bednar in save opportunities: 8-for-8, 0 runs, 4 hits, 11.1 innings
"David Bednar in save opportunities: 8-for-8, 0 runs, 4 hits, 11.1 innings" - @ Joe Block
However, if the team is willing to pull the trigger, Bednar could fill the void left by Green this season and offer the Yankees an heir to Aroldis Chapman's role as closer going forward.