We all know the big-ticket names connected to the New York Yankees this winter. Fans will debate the merits of Kyle Tucker versus Cody Bellinger. They’ll dream of Michael King or Tatsuya Imai joining the starting rotation. Edwin Diaz would sure look nice in the ninth, as well.

Certainly, some of these guys (or comparable equivalents) will end up in the Bronx this offseason, but the needs extend beyond what the glitzy names can cover. The bullpen needs run deep, the roster is incredibly too left-handed, and infield depth is required.

The Yankees could knock out most or all of these secondary needs by sifting through free agents who no one is talking about. Time to start digging beneath the surface.

4 under-the-radar free agents who would be perfect fits for the YankeesRob Refsnyder

For a very brief moment in time, a small contingent of Yankees fans were convinced that Rob Refsnyder could be the solution at second base. That dream died in 2017, when Refsnyder was shipped off to Toronto in exchange for the ever-forgettable Ryan McBroom. Refsnyder bounced around, failing to latch on anywhere with much success until 2022.

It happened in the worst place possible. As a member of the Boston Red Sox, Refsnyder was reborn as a valuable bench weapon. Now a corner outfielder, Refsnyder has annihilated left-handed pitching the last four years. From 2022 onwards, he owns a .312/.407/.516 line against southpaws. That’s good for a 155 wRC+, which is sixth in baseball (minimum 500 plate appearances).

The Yankees need a right-handed presence in the outfield, and if they’re able to bring in MVP-caliber performance (when it comes to mashing lefties), you really can’t do any better.

Emilio Pagan

Andddd he’s already gone. Re-signed with the Reds on a two-year, $20 million contract. Why weren’t the Yankees all over this?

Of all the closers on the market, Emilio Pagan is firmly in that middle tier, though getting less buzz than the likes of Devin Williams. Pagan has had an up-and-down career, but he was solid last year with a 2.88 ERA and 32 saves for the Cincinnati Reds.

The underlying metrics speak to performance that was quite a good deal better than solid. Pagan’s 32.6% chase rate was a 90th percentile performance, and his 30% strikeout rate came in as an 89th percentile mark. Additionally, he ranked in the 78th percentile for both hard hit rate and chase rate, and the expected batting average of .183 he yielded was top of the scale in the 99th percentile.

The Yankees wouldn’t have looked to Pagan to close out games, but as a setup man with elite strikeout stuff who also limits hard contact, he could’ve been a valuable weapon.

Miguel Rojas

The best way to beat the Dodgers is to steal what made them successful. Miguel Rojas isn’t the biggest star, but the versatile utility infielder showed out in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, with both a game-tying homer and a game-saving defensive play in the bottom of the ninth.

Rojas is long in the tooth at this point, but he’s a capable defender across the infield who has also been a slightly above league-average bat the last two seasons. His veteran leadership could’ve help Anthony Volpe at shortstop, while his playoff experience is immensely value.

He re-signed with the Dodgers on Wednesday night and will work for them when his playing career concludes afer the 2026 season.

Victor Caratini

As cool as J.C. Escarra’s story is, the Yankees need a right-handed hitting catcher with both Austin Wells and Ben Rice expected to spend time behind the plate. But what if they aimed a little higher than simply a backstop with a pulse who bats from the right side?

That’s where Victor Caratini comes in. Caratini is a switch-hitter whose bat came alive the past two years after he landed in Houston, with a 113 wRC+ in 2024 and a 104 mark this year. He slashed .333/.391/.421 against southpaws in 2024. His 2025 follow-up wasn’t as good, but still solid at .208/.306/.434 against lefties.

Caratini also has experience at first base, and his bat is good enough to play at DH occasionally as well. As a switch-hitter, he’s not limited to just action against lefties only. He’d be overkill, but for only a few million dollars, why not splurge and get the extra insurance in case of injury?