Why isn’t Phil Coke on the Yankees’ radar?

Today I found out that former Yankee reliever Phil Coke is still a free agent.

I never understood why the Yankees traded him to Detroit in exchange for Curtis Granderson. He was a reliable arm despite his ERA of 4.50 in his first full year with the Yankees.

The California native had a couple of good years with the Tigers, except perhaps the 2011 and 2013 campaigns In 2013 he posted a 5.40 ERA. But overall in five years with Detroit he sported an ERA of 4.25. Especially last year’s ERA was good: 3.88.

The Tigers experimented with him as a starter in 2011 when he started 14 games, but with a 3-9 record it wasn’t quite a success. His career strikeout-walk ratio is 2.09. His career FIP stat is 2.78 which can be compared with ERA but only with factors which are in the pitcher’s control. Coke throws mainly four-seam and two-seam fastballs. His four-seamer reaches a speed of 93–95 mph but occasionally reaches 97 mph. His two-seamer is a little bit slower, with an average of 92–93 mph. He also uses a slider in the 78–83 mph range and an occasional changeup between 83 and 86 mph.

The Yankees have acquired some pitching in the off season, mainly for their bullpen. Many of those players have been signed on minor league contracts which are a low risk investment of course. But Coke is a proven reliable arm. He has a Yankees past, so why not re-sign him? If Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller will be platooned as closers, something Girardi mulled about, he can be used as set up man.

I realize that Phil Coke is not the youngest with 32, but if the Yankees can sign him to a one year deal, he can help the team. If he lives up to the expectation, maybe another longer contract is possible.

Anyhow, I would not mind if the Yankees would sign him.