The Yankees have moved RHP Freddy Garcia to the bullpen. The announcement was made yesterday, one day after he gave up six runs in 1.2 innings pitched against Detroit and saw his ERA climb to 12.51. Garcia went 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA last season for New York and he was re-signed in the off-season to a one-year, $4 million contract, although he's been the worst pitcher in a bad rotation so far this season.
In addition, RHP Michael Pineda is gone for the season and RHP Phil Hughes is pitching true to form (in other words, badly). The obvious choice to replace Garcia in the rotation is rookie RHP David Phelps, a top prospect who made the team out of Spring Training as a long reliever. Garcia's turn in the rotation won't come around until Thursday, so an announcement is not imminent and if the team is forced to use Phelps out of the bullpen between now and then he likely won't be able to make a start, and with plenty of off days in their schedule the Yankees could presumably skip the fifth starter's spot the next time it comes around and call up LHP Andy Pettitte when Garcia's spot comes up a second time. Pettitte pitched for Tampa today and could need one or two more starts before he is ready to return to the Majors.
Showing posts with label yankees rotation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yankees rotation. Show all posts
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Pineda gone for Season
RHP Michael Pineda has been diagnosed a torn right anterior labrum (shoulder) and will undergo arthroscopic surgery next Tuesday. He is expected to miss the remainder of the season. GM Brian Cashman said that he was "devastated" over the news.
Cashman also went onto say that he doesn't believe that Pineda - acquired for four players including former top prospect C/DH Jesus Montero - was damaged goods when he was acquired. Pineda is not expected to return to a mound until May 2013. On the bright side, the loss of Pineda reduces the complications for the return of LHP Andy Pettitte in his comeback bid.
Pettitte gave up three earned runs in five-plus innings yesterday against AA batters in his third Minor League start this season. Pettitte is now 39 and is attempting a comeback after retiring following the 2010 season, and he allowed one walk and had three strikeouts before being pulled after allowing a lead-off single in the sixth. But don't get overanxious, Pettitte isn't coming out of the Minors anytime soon despite the injury to Pineda, the struggles of RHP Freddy Garcia, and the continued decline of RHP Phil Hughes.
Cashman also went onto say that he doesn't believe that Pineda - acquired for four players including former top prospect C/DH Jesus Montero - was damaged goods when he was acquired. Pineda is not expected to return to a mound until May 2013. On the bright side, the loss of Pineda reduces the complications for the return of LHP Andy Pettitte in his comeback bid.
Pettitte gave up three earned runs in five-plus innings yesterday against AA batters in his third Minor League start this season. Pettitte is now 39 and is attempting a comeback after retiring following the 2010 season, and he allowed one walk and had three strikeouts before being pulled after allowing a lead-off single in the sixth. But don't get overanxious, Pettitte isn't coming out of the Minors anytime soon despite the injury to Pineda, the struggles of RHP Freddy Garcia, and the continued decline of RHP Phil Hughes.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Pettitte to Start Against Mets Tomorrow
Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte is scheduled to start tomorrow's exhibition game against the Mets in Tampa tomorrow at noon (YES Network, MLB Network). He is expected to pitch one winning. Pettitte came out of retirement on March 16 and is expected to be ready to join the team sometime in May.
The decision to let Pettitte start came after he threw his second simulated game since his return on Saturday and a 25-pitch bullpen session yesterday.
The decision to let Pettitte start came after he threw his second simulated game since his return on Saturday and a 25-pitch bullpen session yesterday.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Spring Training Cuts
The Yankees have made a couple of more Spring Training cuts over the past few days. On Sunday, The Yankees optioned RHP Dellin Betances to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and on Monday they also optioned IF Ramiro Pena to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Spring Training Cuts
The New York Yankees have made another wave of Spring Training cuts in an effort to trim their active roster down to 25 by Opening Day in early April.
Late Tuesday, the Yankees optioned RHP George Kontos, RHP D. J. Mitchell, RHP David Phelps, and 3B Brandon Laird to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Late Tuesday, the Yankees optioned RHP George Kontos, RHP D. J. Mitchell, RHP David Phelps, and 3B Brandon Laird to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Pettitte ends Retirement, at Least for a Couple of Weeks
It probably started when former LHP Andy Pettitte approached current Yankees LHP C. C. Sabathia earlier this Spring and told him he was thinking about trying to play again. Sabathia told him to tryout. After all, he was only six pounds over his normal playing weight and he looked like he could still play when he was working as a special Spring Training coach with the team.
When C Russell Martin heard about the possibility of Pettitte pitching again he described the scenario as "awesome." It certainly wouldn't have been unprecedented. Mike Donlin is believed to be the first baseball player to come out of retirement, and he first retired in 1908. He came out of retirement in 1911 after spending a couple of years as a vaudeville star in Hollywood and a marriage to a starlet.
Pettitte's retirement from baseball was far less dramatic than Donlin's. For that matter, his retirement has been far-less dramatic than Ryne Sandberg's, who retired in 1994 after being named to ten All-Star teams. And his return has been far-less dramatic then other sports figures like NBA player Michael Jordan, who retired from basketball three times, and came back twice (once after pursuing a professional baseball career and once with the Wizards after he bought the team).
Instead, Pettitte's retirement and return is more similar to that of Dave Stieb, a star pitcher in the 1980s who was released in 1992 by Toronto and retired after making four starts with the White Sox in 1993. But he returned to the Blue Jays in 1998 and pitched in 16 games out of the bullpen and made three starts. Pettitte's return in no way mirrors the dramatic return of Johnny King, who walked away from the game after winning the World Series with the Cubs in 1908 and became a professional pool player (winning the World's Pool Championship in 1909), but returned to the Cubs in 1910.
Oh by the way, King's billiard tables are now amongst the most valuable in the world. And of course, Pettitte's retirement is far-less dramatic than the multiple retirements of former teammate Roger Clemens. The best part about that is that, of course, it was Pettitte who convinced Clemens to come out of retirement after he gloriously walked away following a World Series start in 2003.
And Pettitte's return is being treated seriously, unlike the gimmicky returns of Minnie Minoso, who was signed out of the Mexican League at the age of 50 by the White Sox in September 1976 and came out of retirement in September 1980 at the age of 54 again with the White Sox. Minoso had appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1969 before his return from Mexico in '76, and he was the only player to return after appearing on a Hall of Fame ballot before Jose Rijo retired in 1995 after blowing out his elbow, appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2000, and returned to pitch with Cincinnati in 2001. And Pettitte's retirement is nothing like that of Hideo Nomo, who announced his retirement from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan so that he could avoid the posting system and sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His comeback attempt will not be viewed with as much scrutiny as that of Manny Ramirez, who will begin his return to the game by serving a 50-game suspension if his comeback attempt is successful. And don't forget about people like Yogi Berra, who retired to become a manager for the Yankees in 1962, was fired after losing the World Series in 1964, and returned to play with the Mets in 1965. Berra again became a coach and eventually a manager with the Mets, winning a World Series ring as a coach in 1969 under manager Gil Hodges and winning another pennant with Mets as a manager in 1973.
Pettitte has been spending his time away from the game by spending time with his family, coaching youth baseball, and taking part in his church activities. But he was never able to grasp the fact that he was no longer a baseball player. Although he was able to go out on his own terms, he still felt an emptiness for the game.
Despite his need to be closer to his family, he was still addicted to the game. Only last summer, Pettitte was adamant that he was loving retirement. But it wasn't long before former teammate Lance Berkman began lobbying for Pettitte to return and pitch for St. Louis.
But Pettitte wouldn't return for any team other than the Yankees. But when the off-season came and went with no solid offers from the Bronx, Pettitte began to believe that perhaps his retirement was permanent. But last Friday the story broke that Pettitte had decided to return after all.
With only a few weeks left in the exhibition season, it will be interesting to see how quickly - or if at all - Pettitte can be ready to pitch in a Spring game, and even then if he can beat out RHP Phil Hughes or RHP Freddy Garcia for a spot in the rotation as a fifth starter or in the bullpen as a long reliever. One of the three has to be cut - and Pettitte is probably that candidate right now in the eyes of manager Joe Girardi (who doesn't get along with Pettitte either) - but the Steinbrenner family may give Pettittearen't hollow in any way.
He definitely was the epitome of a big-game pitcher. Pettitte's return would essentially mean that the Yankees would be willing to trade talent for guts in 2012. Pettitte was probably the least accomplished of the Big Four (also including current Yankees SS Derek Jeter and RHP Mariano Rivera and former C/DH Jorge Posada), but that doesn't mean that he didn't accomplish a lot.
Most of his teammates over the years envied Pettitte's success as much as they did that of the other three. But that only happens when Pettitte plays, not when he's out of the game, and his life after baseball probably won't include a trip to Cooperstown, especially after being linked to the PED scandal and admitting to using HGH. Certainly a lot more people are happier to see him playing then they are to see him retired.
Pettitte was always lauded as a great player even when his numbers didn't match his reputation. He was never the best pitcher on any team that he played on. Two years ago Pettite went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 21 starts, but he hasn't pitched since then and he's now 39.
Pettitte doesn't need the money and he loves spending time with his family, but he loves baseball more than both of those things. Pettitte had both family and baseball during his time with Houston, but he always felt more at home playing thousands of miles away from his family in the Bronx. Pettitte realizes that playing for the Yankees will mark the best time of his life, not spending time with his family.
And now he'll have a couple of more weeks (at least) to relive those times again. There's no doubt that Pettitte's heart beats fastest when he's on the mound, not when he's intimate with his wife. And you can bet that his heart was beating fast when he secretly threw in front of Yankees personnel a couple of days ago.
After the tryout the Yankees signed Pettitte to a Minor League contract and invited him to Spring Training, guaranteeing him $2.5 million if he makes the team. Pettitte tried out in front of GM Brian Cashman, Girardi, pitching coach Larry Rothschild, and assistant GM Gene Michael after being brought into camp as a special spring training coach, and although they were conspicuously absent, you know that Hank and Hal were well aware of everything that happened on that mound. Only a day before Pettitte's number 46 jersey hung from a locker in the coach's room instead of the clubhouse with the rest of the players.
And even the day before the tryout Pettitte was adamant that he was happy in retirement. It turns out that Pettitte had been secretly talking to the Yankees since December. Cashman admitted that he'd offered Pettitte a contract around $11 million to come back and pitch before the acquisitions of RHP Michael Pineda and RHP Hiroki Kuroda.
Pettitte worked out for most of the off-season, and kept his arm in shape by throwing batting practice to his sons. There was another opportunity for a contract on March 10 when both the Yankees and Pettitte were in Lake Buena Vista (the Yankees for a Spring Training game and Pettitte with his church), and an agreement was made on Friday. A potential payroll increase was approved by Hal and suddenly Pettitte has become a favorite to make the team in the eyes of the Yankee fan-base.
But let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet. Cashman has said that Pettitte will probably need seven weeks to be ready; he has three at most. Pettitte retired on February 4, 2011, and he hasn't thrown a pitch since October 2010. No one really knows how this move will affect the futures of Hughes and Garcia.
Pettitte said that one of the first people he heard from when the story of the signing broke was Posada. Pettite has spent 13 seasons with the Yankees and three seasons with Houston, and now he'll be going for season number 14 out of 17 with New York. He is third all-time in wins in Yankee history and second in strikeouts.
He'll try to move up the ranks now. Jeter has said in the past that nothing surprises him anymore. So he was not shocked when heard the news of Pettitte's comeback attempt.
3B Alex Rodriguez has said that Pettitte will be hailed as a hero every time he enters the Yankees clubhouse as an active player - no matter how long that lasts. RF Nick Swisher said that he was able to connect the dots when he golfed with Pettitte earlier in the exhibition season and noticed that the former pitcher had obviously been working out. RHP Ivan Nova used to view video of Pettitte pitching in the postseason to see how it was supposed to look, and now he may have a chance to view it in person this October.
Jeter told reporters last weekend that a year away from the game may have changed Pettitte's desire to spend time with his wife, Laura. And as happy as as many people are to have Pettitte pitching again, many others are unhappy to see it happening again. Pettitte may certainly be worth a look, but his signing may also spell doom for either Hughes or Garcia.
Hughes has been mostly noncommittal and politically correct since the signing, increased competition, and discussions about the logjam, while Garcia has been more business-like and cut and dry since the signing. Suffering from a swollen hand after being hit by a come backer, Garcia is expected to miss one Spring start while he recovers. Garcia signed a $4 million guaranteed contract with the Yankees last November following a strong 2011 season, but since then the team has acquired Pineda, Kuroda, and now Pettitte, and suddenly Garcia finds himself looking hard at being released.
When C Russell Martin heard about the possibility of Pettitte pitching again he described the scenario as "awesome." It certainly wouldn't have been unprecedented. Mike Donlin is believed to be the first baseball player to come out of retirement, and he first retired in 1908. He came out of retirement in 1911 after spending a couple of years as a vaudeville star in Hollywood and a marriage to a starlet.
Pettitte's retirement from baseball was far less dramatic than Donlin's. For that matter, his retirement has been far-less dramatic than Ryne Sandberg's, who retired in 1994 after being named to ten All-Star teams. And his return has been far-less dramatic then other sports figures like NBA player Michael Jordan, who retired from basketball three times, and came back twice (once after pursuing a professional baseball career and once with the Wizards after he bought the team).
Instead, Pettitte's retirement and return is more similar to that of Dave Stieb, a star pitcher in the 1980s who was released in 1992 by Toronto and retired after making four starts with the White Sox in 1993. But he returned to the Blue Jays in 1998 and pitched in 16 games out of the bullpen and made three starts. Pettitte's return in no way mirrors the dramatic return of Johnny King, who walked away from the game after winning the World Series with the Cubs in 1908 and became a professional pool player (winning the World's Pool Championship in 1909), but returned to the Cubs in 1910.
Oh by the way, King's billiard tables are now amongst the most valuable in the world. And of course, Pettitte's retirement is far-less dramatic than the multiple retirements of former teammate Roger Clemens. The best part about that is that, of course, it was Pettitte who convinced Clemens to come out of retirement after he gloriously walked away following a World Series start in 2003.
And Pettitte's return is being treated seriously, unlike the gimmicky returns of Minnie Minoso, who was signed out of the Mexican League at the age of 50 by the White Sox in September 1976 and came out of retirement in September 1980 at the age of 54 again with the White Sox. Minoso had appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1969 before his return from Mexico in '76, and he was the only player to return after appearing on a Hall of Fame ballot before Jose Rijo retired in 1995 after blowing out his elbow, appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2000, and returned to pitch with Cincinnati in 2001. And Pettitte's retirement is nothing like that of Hideo Nomo, who announced his retirement from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan so that he could avoid the posting system and sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His comeback attempt will not be viewed with as much scrutiny as that of Manny Ramirez, who will begin his return to the game by serving a 50-game suspension if his comeback attempt is successful. And don't forget about people like Yogi Berra, who retired to become a manager for the Yankees in 1962, was fired after losing the World Series in 1964, and returned to play with the Mets in 1965. Berra again became a coach and eventually a manager with the Mets, winning a World Series ring as a coach in 1969 under manager Gil Hodges and winning another pennant with Mets as a manager in 1973.
Pettitte has been spending his time away from the game by spending time with his family, coaching youth baseball, and taking part in his church activities. But he was never able to grasp the fact that he was no longer a baseball player. Although he was able to go out on his own terms, he still felt an emptiness for the game.
Despite his need to be closer to his family, he was still addicted to the game. Only last summer, Pettitte was adamant that he was loving retirement. But it wasn't long before former teammate Lance Berkman began lobbying for Pettitte to return and pitch for St. Louis.
But Pettitte wouldn't return for any team other than the Yankees. But when the off-season came and went with no solid offers from the Bronx, Pettitte began to believe that perhaps his retirement was permanent. But last Friday the story broke that Pettitte had decided to return after all.
With only a few weeks left in the exhibition season, it will be interesting to see how quickly - or if at all - Pettitte can be ready to pitch in a Spring game, and even then if he can beat out RHP Phil Hughes or RHP Freddy Garcia for a spot in the rotation as a fifth starter or in the bullpen as a long reliever. One of the three has to be cut - and Pettitte is probably that candidate right now in the eyes of manager Joe Girardi (who doesn't get along with Pettitte either) - but the Steinbrenner family may give Pettittearen't hollow in any way.
He definitely was the epitome of a big-game pitcher. Pettitte's return would essentially mean that the Yankees would be willing to trade talent for guts in 2012. Pettitte was probably the least accomplished of the Big Four (also including current Yankees SS Derek Jeter and RHP Mariano Rivera and former C/DH Jorge Posada), but that doesn't mean that he didn't accomplish a lot.
Most of his teammates over the years envied Pettitte's success as much as they did that of the other three. But that only happens when Pettitte plays, not when he's out of the game, and his life after baseball probably won't include a trip to Cooperstown, especially after being linked to the PED scandal and admitting to using HGH. Certainly a lot more people are happier to see him playing then they are to see him retired.
Pettitte was always lauded as a great player even when his numbers didn't match his reputation. He was never the best pitcher on any team that he played on. Two years ago Pettite went 11-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 21 starts, but he hasn't pitched since then and he's now 39.
Pettitte doesn't need the money and he loves spending time with his family, but he loves baseball more than both of those things. Pettitte had both family and baseball during his time with Houston, but he always felt more at home playing thousands of miles away from his family in the Bronx. Pettitte realizes that playing for the Yankees will mark the best time of his life, not spending time with his family.
And now he'll have a couple of more weeks (at least) to relive those times again. There's no doubt that Pettitte's heart beats fastest when he's on the mound, not when he's intimate with his wife. And you can bet that his heart was beating fast when he secretly threw in front of Yankees personnel a couple of days ago.
After the tryout the Yankees signed Pettitte to a Minor League contract and invited him to Spring Training, guaranteeing him $2.5 million if he makes the team. Pettitte tried out in front of GM Brian Cashman, Girardi, pitching coach Larry Rothschild, and assistant GM Gene Michael after being brought into camp as a special spring training coach, and although they were conspicuously absent, you know that Hank and Hal were well aware of everything that happened on that mound. Only a day before Pettitte's number 46 jersey hung from a locker in the coach's room instead of the clubhouse with the rest of the players.
And even the day before the tryout Pettitte was adamant that he was happy in retirement. It turns out that Pettitte had been secretly talking to the Yankees since December. Cashman admitted that he'd offered Pettitte a contract around $11 million to come back and pitch before the acquisitions of RHP Michael Pineda and RHP Hiroki Kuroda.
Pettitte worked out for most of the off-season, and kept his arm in shape by throwing batting practice to his sons. There was another opportunity for a contract on March 10 when both the Yankees and Pettitte were in Lake Buena Vista (the Yankees for a Spring Training game and Pettitte with his church), and an agreement was made on Friday. A potential payroll increase was approved by Hal and suddenly Pettitte has become a favorite to make the team in the eyes of the Yankee fan-base.
But let's not start sucking each other's dicks just yet. Cashman has said that Pettitte will probably need seven weeks to be ready; he has three at most. Pettitte retired on February 4, 2011, and he hasn't thrown a pitch since October 2010. No one really knows how this move will affect the futures of Hughes and Garcia.
Pettitte said that one of the first people he heard from when the story of the signing broke was Posada. Pettite has spent 13 seasons with the Yankees and three seasons with Houston, and now he'll be going for season number 14 out of 17 with New York. He is third all-time in wins in Yankee history and second in strikeouts.
He'll try to move up the ranks now. Jeter has said in the past that nothing surprises him anymore. So he was not shocked when heard the news of Pettitte's comeback attempt.
3B Alex Rodriguez has said that Pettitte will be hailed as a hero every time he enters the Yankees clubhouse as an active player - no matter how long that lasts. RF Nick Swisher said that he was able to connect the dots when he golfed with Pettitte earlier in the exhibition season and noticed that the former pitcher had obviously been working out. RHP Ivan Nova used to view video of Pettitte pitching in the postseason to see how it was supposed to look, and now he may have a chance to view it in person this October.
Jeter told reporters last weekend that a year away from the game may have changed Pettitte's desire to spend time with his wife, Laura. And as happy as as many people are to have Pettitte pitching again, many others are unhappy to see it happening again. Pettitte may certainly be worth a look, but his signing may also spell doom for either Hughes or Garcia.
Hughes has been mostly noncommittal and politically correct since the signing, increased competition, and discussions about the logjam, while Garcia has been more business-like and cut and dry since the signing. Suffering from a swollen hand after being hit by a come backer, Garcia is expected to miss one Spring start while he recovers. Garcia signed a $4 million guaranteed contract with the Yankees last November following a strong 2011 season, but since then the team has acquired Pineda, Kuroda, and now Pettitte, and suddenly Garcia finds himself looking hard at being released.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Yankees Invite 27 to Spring Training
The Yankees agreed to terms with 13 players on Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training yesterday. The signings of 1B Russell Branyan, 2B Bill Hall, and RHP Manny Delcarmen were made official. In addition, the signing of LHP Hidkei Okajima was confirmed. Also, OF DeWayne Wise was signed, probably headlining the nine other players who were signed. The Yankees also invited 14 prospects to Spring Training.
Branyan and Hall were both signed in the 48 hours prior to the official announcement while Delcarmen was signed quite some time ago. Delcarmen and Okajima will compete for bullpen spots while Wise will battle for a role as a fourth outfielder. Other players the Yankees have invited to Spring Training include LHP Manny Banuelos, LHP Juan Cedeno, LHP Mike O'Connor, RHP Daniel Burawa, RHP Matt Daley, RHP Adam Miller, RHP Ryan Pope, RHP Graham Stoneburner, RHP Adam Warner, RHP Kevin Whelan, RHP Chase Whitley, C Jose Gil, C Kyle Higashioka, C Gustavo Molina, C J. R. Murphy, C Gary Sanchez, SS Doug Bernier, 3B Jayson Nix, 1B Jorge Vazquez, RF Colin Curtis, LF Cole Garner, and RHP Brett Marshall.
Branyan and Hall were both signed in the 48 hours prior to the official announcement while Delcarmen was signed quite some time ago. Delcarmen and Okajima will compete for bullpen spots while Wise will battle for a role as a fourth outfielder. Other players the Yankees have invited to Spring Training include LHP Manny Banuelos, LHP Juan Cedeno, LHP Mike O'Connor, RHP Daniel Burawa, RHP Matt Daley, RHP Adam Miller, RHP Ryan Pope, RHP Graham Stoneburner, RHP Adam Warner, RHP Kevin Whelan, RHP Chase Whitley, C Jose Gil, C Kyle Higashioka, C Gustavo Molina, C J. R. Murphy, C Gary Sanchez, SS Doug Bernier, 3B Jayson Nix, 1B Jorge Vazquez, RF Colin Curtis, LF Cole Garner, and RHP Brett Marshall.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Yankees Rotation
The Yankees are expected to repeat as 2012 AL East Division champions, and their starting rotation will be a big part of that. Last season, they appeared to be a team that was lacking one or two legitimate starters. That wasn't enough to stop them from winning the division, but it was enough to prevent them from being a factor in the postseason. They think that they've solved that problem with a big trade and a nice free agent signing only days ago.
1. LHP C. C. Sabathia: Sabathia had another good season last year. He pitched 237.1 innings and fanned 230 batters, while picking up 19 wins with a 3.00 ERA and a ton of run support. Sabathia wouldn't get as much attention as an ace outside of the Bronx (without that run support his win total would probably be somewhere around 13, with some experts saying as low as 7) and he's not one of the elite pitchers in the AL. But he's a horse who gets a lot of swings and misses and he's suitable to serve as the Yankees ace. Look for him to have another strong season this year, especially if he stays away from that Captain Crunch.
2. RHP Michael Pineda: Pineda was an impressive rookie last season in Seattle. For the Mariners he posted a 3.74 ERA in 28 starts. He only won nine games for the Mariners, but that total should go up with a better team and more run support with the Yankees. The only other factor will be the ballpark. Pineda was extremely impressive in the pitcher-friendly Safeco Field, but will he be able to maintain his productivity in the bandbox that is Yankee Stadium? LeRoy doesn't think so. But he should still serve as a decent middle of the rotation starter. The trade for Pineda (in exchange for C/DH Jesus Montero and RHP Hector Noesi) has not yet been made official, but unless it falls through this should be a pretty good swap for both teams.
3. RHP Ivan Nova: Nova had a terrific season last year, posting a 3.70 ERA to go along with 16 wins in 27 starts. And unlike Pineda, there's no question about whether or not he can pitch in Yankee Stadium or how effective he can be in Yankee Stadium. The answers to those questions are "yes" and "quite effective." In 2012, Nova will look to increase his number of starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts.
4. RHP Hiroki Kuroda: The Yankees have recently signed Kuroda to a one-year contract worth $10 million, although the deal is not official as he has yet to pass a physical. Unless something untoward is found in his health, this should be a good sign for the Yankees. Kuroda had a 3.07 ERA in 32 starts and 202 innings pitched last season for the Dodgers. He only won 13 games for a pretty good Dodgers team, but that was due more to bad run support than to ineffectiveness. He won't have that problem with the Yankees. The only question is, can he pitch as effectively in the Bronx as he did in Chavez Ravine? The answer: Probably not. But he should emerge as the team's second ace behind Sabathia.
5. RHP Phil Hughes: Hughes had problems with injuries last season, and he was terrible while healthy, posting a 5.79 ERA in 74.2 innings. His first task will be to stay on the team in Spring Training, and his second task will be to stay in the rotation. He could end up back in the bullpen, either as a long reliever or as a setup man again. If he does stick in the rotation he will try to stay healthy and again become a mediocre starter.
6. RHP A. J. Burnett: Burnett had a terrible season last year, and this time he can't blame injuries or former Yankees C Jorge Posada for his performance. He had a 5.15 ERA in 32 starts and only managed an 11-11 record with the Yankees lineup behind him. The Yankees have made it no secret that they will try to trade him in Spring Training, though that may prove a difficult task considering his body of work throughout his career and from last year and the years and money ($32 million) remaining on his contract. There's really no good side to this story. He's probably a better option for the rotation than Hughes, but that won't make him a favorite to win a spot on the team.
7. RHP Freddy Garcia: If there is justice in the world Garcia will win the fifth starter's job for the Yankees. But the Yankees have a lot more money invested in Burnett and a lot more hype invested in Hughes. The way things are going with the Yankees this off-season it looks like Burnett will not be traded and thusly be awarded the fifth starter's job and Hughes will wind up in the bullpen. Even if a trade for Burnett is worked out Hughes would probably still win the fifth starter's role for hype's sake and Garcia would be sent to the 'pen. If Burnett wins the role Garcia would probably be released. That's a shame. He had a 3.62 ERA in 25 starts last season.
8. RHP Dellin Betances: Betances broke into the Majors in a brief September call-up last season and posted a 6.75 ERA in 2.2 innings. He clearly wasn't ready for the Majors despite his fine Minor League season, and he will need most of one full year at AAA before he is ready. Expect to see a new and improved Betances again in September.
9. RHP D. J. Mitchell: Mitchell had an outstanding season last year at AAA, posting a 3.18 ERA in 24 starts at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He's probably ready for the show, but it doesn't look like there's room for him yet.
10. RHP David Phelps: Phelps had minor injury problems last year which don't appear to be a concern. He had a good season at AAA last year, posting a 3.19 ERA in 19 starts along with two near-perfect starts in a rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League. Phelps is probably also ready for the show, although there doesn't appear to be room for him and his injury history may be more of a concern than the Yankees are letting on.
11. RHP Brad Meyers: Meyers was taken in the Rule V Draft by the Yankees from Washington this year. That means that he'll have to stick with the team in Spring Training this year to remain Yankees property. That means that he'll probably be back in Washington this season unless their bullpen really falls apart. That's probably not a bad thing for the Yankees. Meyers probably needs at least 5 or 6 starts at AAA before he's ready for the show, and the Yankees can't do that with a Rule V pick.
The Yankees rotation looks pretty good. Sabathia, Pineda, Nova, and Kuroda are the real deal. And if the Yankees did the proper thing and named Garcia the fifth starter they could have one of the better rotations in the Majors (potentially). But they have to figure out what to do with Hughes and Burnett. Either way, the four guaranteed starters look good. They have nothing in the way of veteran depth at AAA, which is a problem.
Here's how the three local teams fare in the rotation competition:
1. Yankees: They have five legit starters with Garcia, and even if he gets released in favor of Burnett or Hughes (or both) the Yankees still have four legit starters.
2. Mets: The Mets have one stud in R. A. Dickey, two good options in Jon Nies and Dillon Gee, and one exceptable starter in Mike Pelfrey. And if they can get Johan Santana healthy their rotation will be pretty strong. If not they'll turn to rookie Chris Schwinden. With or without Santana their rotation looks decent.
3. Red Sox: They have two legit starters in Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, but after that everything is a question mark regarding either health (Clay Buchholz), ineffectiveness (John Lackey), or both (Dice-K).
1. LHP C. C. Sabathia: Sabathia had another good season last year. He pitched 237.1 innings and fanned 230 batters, while picking up 19 wins with a 3.00 ERA and a ton of run support. Sabathia wouldn't get as much attention as an ace outside of the Bronx (without that run support his win total would probably be somewhere around 13, with some experts saying as low as 7) and he's not one of the elite pitchers in the AL. But he's a horse who gets a lot of swings and misses and he's suitable to serve as the Yankees ace. Look for him to have another strong season this year, especially if he stays away from that Captain Crunch.
2. RHP Michael Pineda: Pineda was an impressive rookie last season in Seattle. For the Mariners he posted a 3.74 ERA in 28 starts. He only won nine games for the Mariners, but that total should go up with a better team and more run support with the Yankees. The only other factor will be the ballpark. Pineda was extremely impressive in the pitcher-friendly Safeco Field, but will he be able to maintain his productivity in the bandbox that is Yankee Stadium? LeRoy doesn't think so. But he should still serve as a decent middle of the rotation starter. The trade for Pineda (in exchange for C/DH Jesus Montero and RHP Hector Noesi) has not yet been made official, but unless it falls through this should be a pretty good swap for both teams.
3. RHP Ivan Nova: Nova had a terrific season last year, posting a 3.70 ERA to go along with 16 wins in 27 starts. And unlike Pineda, there's no question about whether or not he can pitch in Yankee Stadium or how effective he can be in Yankee Stadium. The answers to those questions are "yes" and "quite effective." In 2012, Nova will look to increase his number of starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts.
4. RHP Hiroki Kuroda: The Yankees have recently signed Kuroda to a one-year contract worth $10 million, although the deal is not official as he has yet to pass a physical. Unless something untoward is found in his health, this should be a good sign for the Yankees. Kuroda had a 3.07 ERA in 32 starts and 202 innings pitched last season for the Dodgers. He only won 13 games for a pretty good Dodgers team, but that was due more to bad run support than to ineffectiveness. He won't have that problem with the Yankees. The only question is, can he pitch as effectively in the Bronx as he did in Chavez Ravine? The answer: Probably not. But he should emerge as the team's second ace behind Sabathia.
5. RHP Phil Hughes: Hughes had problems with injuries last season, and he was terrible while healthy, posting a 5.79 ERA in 74.2 innings. His first task will be to stay on the team in Spring Training, and his second task will be to stay in the rotation. He could end up back in the bullpen, either as a long reliever or as a setup man again. If he does stick in the rotation he will try to stay healthy and again become a mediocre starter.
6. RHP A. J. Burnett: Burnett had a terrible season last year, and this time he can't blame injuries or former Yankees C Jorge Posada for his performance. He had a 5.15 ERA in 32 starts and only managed an 11-11 record with the Yankees lineup behind him. The Yankees have made it no secret that they will try to trade him in Spring Training, though that may prove a difficult task considering his body of work throughout his career and from last year and the years and money ($32 million) remaining on his contract. There's really no good side to this story. He's probably a better option for the rotation than Hughes, but that won't make him a favorite to win a spot on the team.
7. RHP Freddy Garcia: If there is justice in the world Garcia will win the fifth starter's job for the Yankees. But the Yankees have a lot more money invested in Burnett and a lot more hype invested in Hughes. The way things are going with the Yankees this off-season it looks like Burnett will not be traded and thusly be awarded the fifth starter's job and Hughes will wind up in the bullpen. Even if a trade for Burnett is worked out Hughes would probably still win the fifth starter's role for hype's sake and Garcia would be sent to the 'pen. If Burnett wins the role Garcia would probably be released. That's a shame. He had a 3.62 ERA in 25 starts last season.
8. RHP Dellin Betances: Betances broke into the Majors in a brief September call-up last season and posted a 6.75 ERA in 2.2 innings. He clearly wasn't ready for the Majors despite his fine Minor League season, and he will need most of one full year at AAA before he is ready. Expect to see a new and improved Betances again in September.
9. RHP D. J. Mitchell: Mitchell had an outstanding season last year at AAA, posting a 3.18 ERA in 24 starts at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He's probably ready for the show, but it doesn't look like there's room for him yet.
10. RHP David Phelps: Phelps had minor injury problems last year which don't appear to be a concern. He had a good season at AAA last year, posting a 3.19 ERA in 19 starts along with two near-perfect starts in a rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League. Phelps is probably also ready for the show, although there doesn't appear to be room for him and his injury history may be more of a concern than the Yankees are letting on.
11. RHP Brad Meyers: Meyers was taken in the Rule V Draft by the Yankees from Washington this year. That means that he'll have to stick with the team in Spring Training this year to remain Yankees property. That means that he'll probably be back in Washington this season unless their bullpen really falls apart. That's probably not a bad thing for the Yankees. Meyers probably needs at least 5 or 6 starts at AAA before he's ready for the show, and the Yankees can't do that with a Rule V pick.
The Yankees rotation looks pretty good. Sabathia, Pineda, Nova, and Kuroda are the real deal. And if the Yankees did the proper thing and named Garcia the fifth starter they could have one of the better rotations in the Majors (potentially). But they have to figure out what to do with Hughes and Burnett. Either way, the four guaranteed starters look good. They have nothing in the way of veteran depth at AAA, which is a problem.
Here's how the three local teams fare in the rotation competition:
1. Yankees: They have five legit starters with Garcia, and even if he gets released in favor of Burnett or Hughes (or both) the Yankees still have four legit starters.
2. Mets: The Mets have one stud in R. A. Dickey, two good options in Jon Nies and Dillon Gee, and one exceptable starter in Mike Pelfrey. And if they can get Johan Santana healthy their rotation will be pretty strong. If not they'll turn to rookie Chris Schwinden. With or without Santana their rotation looks decent.
3. Red Sox: They have two legit starters in Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, but after that everything is a question mark regarding either health (Clay Buchholz), ineffectiveness (John Lackey), or both (Dice-K).
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