The 12 bullpen arms that could help the Yankees

Of course, Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt was going to have to leave his no-hit bid with a career-high 103 pitches, two innings to go and a typically spotty injury history for young pitchers. It wasn’t even a dugout debate, at least not a real one. 

There wasn’t going to be history on this hot day at The Stadium. But before a sellout crowd of 46,142 in the 9-0 victory over the Orioles, Schmidt reinforced the notion he’s one of the game’s more “under-rated” starters — Aaron Boone said as much, and we agree — and reminded us that, very fortuitously, starting pitching doesn’t have to be a Yankees deadline priority, at least not the first priority. 

If no-hit Schmidt, with his 25 ¹/₃ straight scoreless innings and 2.84 ERA, is your No. 3 starter, Yankees fans, you are in great shape there. No, it’s the bullpen where scouts say the Yankees will need deadline help. 

“They have the same problem as everyone else — there’s only one good bullpen,” one scout said, meaning the Padres, who have dynamic arms, innings six through nine.