Damaso Marte, who spent the entire season on the DL, and was supposed to have been interchanged with Logan, was released by the Yankees and is likely to retire soon.
One thing that Joe Girardi likes is the lefty-lefty matchups of pitcher-batter. Last season, lefties hit .260 off him last season, and if they have to face guys like David Ortiz, they need a solid lefty out of the bullpen. Boone Logan is not that guy.
No indication has been given as to if Logan will return, and as the days go on, it appears increasingly likely that he will be gone.
The market for left-handed pitchers this offseason is barely halfway decent. These are the big[ger] name free agent left handed relief pitchers this season:
*Mike Gonzalez
*Darren Oliver
*Arthur Rhodes
*J.C. Romero
*George Sherrill
*Jamie Moyer
With Rhodes and Oliver being over 40 years old, and the Yankees seemingly not interested in older pitchers, Moyer, in addition to age, being a risky signing, and the Yankees having already signed and cut Romero, Mike Gonzalez is the best fit for the Yankees among free agents.
My instinct tells me that the Yankees need to delve into the depths of their minor league system, often called one of the best in baseball, to find another reliever.
The Yankees have Manny Banuelos waiting in the wings, after an extremely successful minor league season last year in both AA and AAA. Along with Gonzalez, Banuelos can be a solid lefty presence in the bullpen for 2012.
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