Yankees may pursue Joaquin Benoit?

Yankees GM Brian Cashman did not exactly give Dave Robertson a vote of confidence as closer at the GM Meetings this week. While Robertson is the favorite to close following the retirement of Mariano Rivera, nothing is guaranteed.

“I’m not sure if Robertson is capable yet. He’s never done that before,” Cashman said. “I think he’s earned the right to take a shot at it, and he very well may be the guy. But we’re not anointing him the guy."

 The Yankees will definitely be in the market for relief pitchers, especially if they can't re-sign Boone Logan or Joba Chamberlain. They also have a slew of other free agents, so they may look to bring in some new faces.

One of those guys may be Joaquin Benoit, who is drawing interest in a variety of roles but may seek out a closer role. Benoit posted a 2.01 ERA and 24 saves in 67 innings for the Tigers, but is a more versatile reliever than closer.

If the Yankees were to sign him, he could compete for the job with Robertson or fill-in as needed with Robertson at closer. There are some closers on the market who could be had at a relatively cheap price, but they come with risks.

Edward Mujica, Kevin Gregg, and Grant Balfour are all closers that are on the market and likely to be pitching with new teams in 2014. The Yankees need to make a move because they have a lot of issues to resolve before spring training.