ORLANDO, Fla. — Joel Hanrahan, who missed all but nine games for the Red Sox last season due to a torn muscle near his elbow, is long-tossing now and about a month away from getting up on the mound. The hope is for him to showcase himself to teams sometime after that.
Hanrahan had 76 saves, a 2.24 ERA and averaged a strikeout an inning for the 2011-12 Pirates. The righty is 32 and could be attractive because he wants to sign a one-year deal to re-establish his value and is willing to pitch the eighth inning.
In this way, he could be ideal for the Yankees, who want to have insurance in case David Robertson cannot replace Mariano Rivera or someone to replace Robertson in the eighth if the transition does work.