Yankees Bullpen

As Spring Training approaches (pitchers and catchers report in six weeks) LeRoy will begin its preseason analysis of the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and the hated New York Yankees.  We will continue with the bullpens and go on with the New York Yankees.

The Yankees are still employing the high-offense-low-pitching philosophy.  That mentality has affected their bullpen.  Their closer should still be at the top of his game, but the rest of their bullpen is highly suspect.  The good news is that some of their question marks paid off big last year and they have made some critical signings on the free agent market.

Closer:  RHP Mariano Rivera.  Rivera is still at the top of his game.  Last season he went 3-3 with a 1.80 ERA, 33 saves and 45 strikeouts.  He won't be able to pitch forever and hopefully he stays at the top of his game and retires at the right time.  I'd hate to see another great reliever fade out like RHP Trevor Hoffman.  Age catches up to us all.  But until I see it happen to Mo, I'll always bet against the hitter.

Here's how the rest of the bullpen figures to shape up:

1.  RHP David Robertson:  4-5, 3.82 ERA, one save, 71 strikeouts
2.  RHP Joba Chamberlain:  3-4, 4.40 ERA, three saves, 77 strikeouts
3.  LHP Damaso Marte:  0-0, 4.08 ERA, no saves, 12 strikeouts
4.  LHP Pedro Feliciano:  3-6, 3.30 ERA, no saves, 56 strikeouts
5.  LHP Boone Logan:  2-0, 2.93 ERA, no saves, 38 strikeouts
6.  RHP Romulo Sanchez:  0-0, 0.00 ERA, no saves, five strikeouts
7.  RHP Andrew Brackman:  MINOR LEAGUES

The bullpen figures to be stronger than it was last season.  Rivera is still there and the road to him is getting less bumpier.  Marte has been a weight on the bullpen for years now, but Logan stepped up against lefthanded hitters last season in a big way and they upgraded by signing Feliciano, a rubber-armed pitcher who appeared in 92 games last season, to further upgrade the lefthanders in the 'pen.  Robertson is satisfactory in the eight inning role but Chamberlain is terrible in the seventh-inning role.  The back end of the 'pen is suspect with the Yankees relying on a couple of career minor leaguers to fill the void.

Other pitchers who could figure into the mix are:

1.  LHP Robert Fish 
2.  RHP Ryan Pope
3.  RHP Brian Schlitter
4.  RHP Daniel Turpen

Turpen is a career minor leaguer who has pitched in both the Boston and San Francisco systems, topping out at AAA, without having much success.  Schlitter is a retread from the Cubs.  Pope is a former third-round draft pick who the Yankees are converting into a reliever, so far unsuccessfully.  Fish is a former sixth-round draft pick of the Angels who was converted into a reliever last season and was hit unbelievably hard.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees will likely fill out their bullpen with former Major League arms.  The players will likely get a look from New York during Spring Training.  With a bullpen that is far from concrete they have a legitimate shot at making the team.  Some of the players that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre have already signed are:

1.  RHP Brian Anderson
2.  RHP Buddy Carlyle
3.  LHP Neal Cotts
4.  RHP Mark Prior
5.  LHP Andrew Sisco 

Sisco is a former top prospect with the Cubs who spent all of last season in the Minor Leagues.  Prior is a former All-Star pitcher who is attempting to ressurrect his career after a long series of injuries.  He split last season between AAA and the Golden Baseball League.  Cotts and Carlyle are veteran pitchers who are attempting comebacks.  Anderson is a former everyday center fielder with the Chicago White Sox who was converted into a relief pitcher last season in AAA.

The final ranking of the three local teams looks something like this:

1.  New York Yankees:  The only team who can provide established players at each spot.
2.  Boston Red Sox:  Decent bullpen but are relying too heavily on injured players like Junichi Tazawa.
3.  New York Mets:  What a mess.