Yankees rumors: NY not looking for bullpen help

Free-agent veteran Rafael Soriano will have to take his services elsewhere next season, as New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has stated the club is done searching for bullpen help this winter, reports Anthony Rieber of Newsday:

Closer Rafael Soriano still is a free agent, but a return to the Yankees seems unlikely...

"I cannot talk about players on the free-agent market," Cashman said. "But I am not looking for bullpen help, I can tell you that."

Soriano, 33, had one year and $14 million remaining on his three-year contract with the Yankees but decided to opt out of the deal at season's end to pursue a multi-year deal. With most teams already locking up their closers from the other available talent, it seems that Soriano may have chosen a bad year to walk away from guaranteed money.

Just because the Yankees are done on the pitching front until spring does not mean they are done making roster moves. The club added veteran outfielder Matt Diaz on a minor-league deal recently to give the club a right-handed hitting option in the outfield, but the club is still looking for another righty bat.

Scott Hairston is rumored to be on the club's radar, but Delmon Young is most definitely not.