The New York Yankees could have signed the top left-handed reliever on the free agent market any time in the last two months, but they passed on Tanner Scott.

They let the Los Angeles Dodgers grab yet another of the top available talents on the market. So the Yankees are less than a month away from spring training and have just two left-handed pitchers — Max Fried and Carlos Rodon — on their 40-man roster. On this one, however, the Yankees deserve a pass.

They have a good track record of finding diamonds in the rough and turning them into valuable relievers. And that is what NJ.com beat writer Max Goodman suggests they will do this season to get a lefty in the bullpen. “Either way, don’t be surprised if the Yankees bring a few possible reclamation projects along when they report to camp. That’s been their specialty over these last few years, bringing the best out of pitchers who are desperate to turn their careers around. After all, it doesn’t get more cost-effective than that,” Goodman wrote.

Over the past four seasons, under pitching coach Matt Blake, the Yankees have proven that they can find the “market inefficiencies” in relief pitching. They have taken relievers who were previously unremarkable, honed in on one or two strengths, and made them into bullpen weapons. Blake honed Clay Holmes’s sinker after they acquired him from the Pirates until he was one of the best closers in the game for two seasons. Blake worked on Luke Weaver’s rising four-seam fastball, turning him from a failed starter into the Yankees’ closer in the World Series. Left-hander Tim Hill had a similar resurgence after the Yankees acquired him from the White Sox last season. A reunion with the lefty side-armer isn’t out of the question

. The Yankees have also been linked to veteran left-handers Andrew Chafin and Brooks Raley. But it would not be surprising to see the Yankees invite guys like Will Smith, Ryan Yarbrough, Jake Diekman, Colin Poche or Danny Coulombe to camp and see if Blake can work his magic on them.