Now that Joakim Soria seems to be out of the Yankees price range some of the names that appear to be a fit are Octavio Dotel and the Toronto trio of Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, and Jason Frasor. The only one of that group that excites me is Downs, who is unfairly lumped in with other lefty specialist.

Downs has been one of the top AL relievers the last four years putting up an ERA+ of 189 during that time. He gets lefties and righties out equally, plus has some experiencing closing ballgames. There is no reason that Downs couldn’t close for a number of teams throughout baseball. This is exactly the type of pitcher the Yankees could use. A solid eighth inning arm that is trustworthy enough to hand over save situations if Rivera is unavailable.

The problem with any deal is the cost. As much as I love Downs it’s not out of the question he would cost two pitching prospects (think Zach McAllister and Ivan Nova). Remember, the Yankees are always required to pay more than other teams so that must be factored in. Do you eschew the value equation and pay the freight? With the way the bullpen is constructed now I am not sure there is even a choice.

The Yankees can navigate the regular season mixing and matching Joba, Robertson, Logan, and others as the bridge to Mariano. When it comes to the postseason they better have the luxury of putting Phil Hughes out there because that mix doesn’t give me a good feeling against the likes of Texas, Tampa, or Chicago in October.

I was hoping that a deal for Soria could be worked out. Unfortunately the cost has far exceeded reasonable limits. The stunted development of Joba Chamberlain continues to be problematic for the Yankees. They were able to overcome it in 2009, but it remains to be seen this year.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Ivan Nova, Jason Frasor, Joakim Soria, Joba Chamberlain, Kansas City Royals, Kevin Gregg, New York Yankees, Octavio Dotel, Phil Hughes, Pittsburgh Pirates, Scott Downs, Toronto Blue Jays, Zach McAllister