For the second time in three years, the New York Yankees were defeated by the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series.

As was the case in 2017, the Yankees had to rely on extensive work from their bullpen arms due to a sheer lack of depth in the rotation. Eventually, the usage wore on the likes of Chad Greene and Adam Ottavino (who had a brutal postseason) and the Yankees were headed home early.

New York's fan base has been critical of management in recent years. There is a sense that general manager Brian Cashman and co. have grown complacent in terms of their roster moves and tentativeness when it comes to offering long-term contracts in free agency.

Of course, Cashman deserves more praise than blame. His decision to add the likes of D.J. LeMahieu, Gio Urshela (acquired in 2018) and Cameron Maybin were a few of the moves that proved instrumental for the Yankees in 2019. Remember, the Yankees still had the third-highest payroll in baseball on Opening Day last year in spite of their “failure” to sign a marquee free agent. Not everything is cut and dried.

This winter, however, things are more simple, or at least they should be. The Yankees need to add starting pitching by any means necessary. Fortunately, there are a number of arms that would fit well in pinstripes. New York could also seek out outfield help.

With these things in mind, here are three ideal free agency targets for the New York Yankees

3. Hyun-Jin Ryu

You know the formula for having success at Yankee Stadium? Inducing weak contact and pounding opposing hitters into the ground.

Well, Ryu had a 50 percent ground ball rate last season. His average exit velocity against was 85.3 mph, putting him in the top four percent of baseball, according to Baseball Savant.

Ryu does not have outstanding velocity by any means. His fastball hovers in the lower 90s. However, he dominates by throwing the changeup to both righties and lefties, and he can place heaters and breaking balls in just about any quadrant of the strike zone.

The 32-year-old led the majors in ERA (2.32) and walks per nine innings (1.2) while also leading the National League in ERA+ (179). Sure, he had a brutal stretch in August and dealt with some injuries. But Ryu responded with a dominant September and battled through five innings to get the win in Game 3 of the NLDS.

The Yankees need another left-handed anchor in the rotation alongside James Paxton. Yes, J.A. Happ is still there, but he may be better served as a long reliever or spot starter at this point in his career.

Ryu might be the best bargain of any of the marquee pitchers on the market. If the Yankees strike out on their top target–more on that later–Ryu would be a fantastic signing.

2. Shogo Akiyama

Akiyama may or may not be a household name at this point, depending on how much attention you pay to the market. The Japanese star has played nine seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, and he has been a hitting machine over the course of the last three years.

Fortunately for the Yankees, he might also come at somewhat of a bargain. Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM and “670 The Score” says that Akiyama is seeking a three-year deal for around $15 million.

There is one catch. Akiyama suffered a broken bone in his right foot at the beginning of November:

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Still, the Yankees should do their due diligence with respect to Akiyama. Although they are expected to re-sign Brett Gardner and possibly Maybin, Akiyama could fill the void left behind by Aaron Hicks (who underwent Tommy John surgery) in centerfield.

1. Gerrit Cole

This had to be a no-brainer, right? Cole almost instantly becomes the ace of any pitching staff that he joins, but his arrival in the Bronx could put the Yankees over the top.

Cole led the majors in strikeouts (326) and ERA+ (185) last season while pacing the American league in both ERA (2.50) and FIP (2.64). He also threw over 200 innings for the third consecutive season.

The dude is a workhorse, and the Yankees need a marquee starter if they hope to win in October next season. They can hardly rely on the likes of Happ and Domingo German to carry them through the American League playoff picture.

Teams like the Angels and Dodgers might be more likely to sign Cole, but the Yankees should break the bank to bring him to New York.