2012 MLB Free Agents: 3 Pitchers Who Could Put NY Yankees Back in World Series

Even given the perfectly reasonable assumption that C.C. Sabathia will re-sign, the Yankees could still benefit from adding some pitching depth this offseason.

One of their most obvious holes is the lack of a front-line left-hander in the starting rotation, so with that concern in mind, here are three free-agents-to-be who could step in as Sabathia’s right-hand (or, in this case, left-hand) man in the Yankees’ rotation.

C.J. Wilson

After five years in the Rangers’ bullpen, Wilson spent the last two seasons reinventing himself as a front-line starter. He led the league with 34 starts, posting strong stats (2.94 ERA, 1.187 WHIP) that are even more impressive considering the hitter-friendly character of his home park.

The biggest concern for Wilson is his less-than-stellar postseason history—especially after the eight-run shellacking he took from the Rays last week. However, after just five career playoff starts, it’s too early to call him a postseason risk just yet.

Mark Buehrle

After 12 major league seasons, Buehrle isn’t likely to be a long-term solution for New York, but he just posted the eighth sub-4.00 ERA of his career. He’s also been a consistent winner for the up-and-down White Sox and he has postseason credentials in the form of a World Series ring from his 2005 season with the Chicago team.

Buehrle doesn’t have the strikeout numbers you’d like, but he’s a proven commodity who has shown that he can win in a high-pressure environment. The Yankees could do a lot worse than adding him to their volatile rotation.

Erik Bedard

Naturally, part of the appeal here comes from sticking it to the arch-rival Red Sox by signing a player they just traded for this July. It also comes from the fact that Bedard has shown flashes of dominance when healthy.

That “when healthy” part is, of course, the problem.

The 32-year-old lefty had gone three years without making 20 starts before he finally did it this season. Still, his 3.45 pre-trade ERA with Seattle is worth taking a chance on if the Yanks miss out on the higher profile lefties.