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Yankees ‘in serious pursuit’ of Andrew Miller

Although the Yankees’ hot stove has remained cold this offseason, they might be ready to heat things up. Earlier today, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Yanks are “in serious pursuit” of lefty-reliever Andrew Miller.

Miller, 29, is coming off a season in which he went 5-5 with a 2.02 ERA, 103 k’s in 62.1 IP between the Red Sox and Orioles. A guy who can get both lefties and righties out with regularity, it’s expected Miller will get a four-year deal worth close to $50M – quite a lot for a guy who is labeled mostly as a setup man.

The interest in Miller opens up a few possibilities on how the Yankees will handle their bullpen, writes Joel Sherman of the Post.

According to Sherman’s thinking, the Yankees could 1) be trying to lower Robertson’s asking price; 2) they’d rather have a lefty to go along with the righty Dellin Betances (and a draft pick); 3) they want both Miller AND Robertson to join Justin WilsonShawn Kelley and Betances to make for an elite bullpen which shortens games and puts less pressure on the offense and starting pitching.

Option 3 would allow the Yankees to vastly improve their ballclub without breaking the bank to add a Max Scherzer-type contract.

With increased emphasis on dominant bullpens and their relation to a team’s success, especially in a sport where offense is getting harder and harder to come by (see: Kansas City Royals), the Yankees might just be trying for option 3. However, their silence on the D-Rob front and his unwillingness to command anything less than Papelbon money is strange.

Could the Yankees be preparing to say goodbye to the Robertson-era, and hand the reigns to Betances? Or, do they want to put together an all-star, shutdown bullpen? We should know soon as the GM Meetings approach.