#5
Rumors are streaming in that Phil Hughes has been named the Yankees #5 starter. While this is great news for Phil, it throws Joba's career into a bit of tumult. They have to find a way to keep Joba somewhat stretched out in case anyone needs to miss starts, instead of just sticking him in the 8th inning role. Of course, Joba hasn't really been Joba since he hurt his shoulder in Texas in 2008. Hopefully, he'll get his fastball back and force them to reconsider. Pettitte and Vazquez will be FA's after this season, creating 2 rotation spots. Joba should be kept in position to grab one of them. Go Yanks.UPDATE: The Yanks have clarified that no decision on the 5th starter has been made.
FURTHER UPDATE: It is Phil. Joba is in limbo between the major league bullpen and the AAA rotation.
posted by Kalel9 @ 12:10 PM
38 Comments:
Cliff Lee will replace Pettite
Jayson Werth will replace Swisher
Carl Crawford will replace Gardner
The only player I would like this coming offseason is Brandon Webb; given that he shows he's healthy.
As long as the odd man out goes to AAA, instead of the bullpen. And please just cut Mitre.
No to Werth or Crawford. I'd be down with either Lee or Webb.
It is Hughes, and if the Yankees don't send Joba to AAA, they will have wasted the last three years of his development.
Girardi all but confirmed Chamberlain will be in the pen. This organization is an absolute disgrace when it comes to developing pitching. Embarrassing.
Girardi said AAA was also a possibility when he announced Hughes.
Highly unlikely, per team reports.
The Yankees should resign themselves to just buying pitching. I've yet to see evidence that they can develop it. All their pitchers lose several mph on their fastball. The only one they have developed lately, Wang, they messed up with his rehab.
From the audio of his interview:
''...and obviously he is moving back to the bullpen again this year..."
Q. Is there a chance of him going to AAA to start?
A. "Um, we have to see how he does here, in the bullpen. And like I said there's no guarantees in that 5 man race that you're automatically going to the pen. You have to prove yourself."
Eiland on TMKS today: "If a starter goes down, Joba is not an option to replace that pitcher in the rotation."
The incompetency of this organization is glaring.
I don't like Eiland, but I doubt it's his decision.
And I share Mike's frustration to a degree, but I'm a captive fan, so hope that Joba regains his velo, command and bite on his slider in the pen, and that he doesn't hold this mishandling against the Yankees.
If Hughes succeeds, it could persuade them to go back what Cash said they were going to do a few years ago.
btw, Nice write up on Garcia:
link
This is somewhat encouraging.
Newsday:
"He's [Joba's] a starter in the bullpen," Cashman said in a telephone interview. "He can do both. He's a starter who was just beaten out in the competition. That's what we honestly believe, but we only had one spot."
[...]
"I think Joba could do either one, I really do," Girardi said. "But right now we think Phil's a little bit ahead of him as a starter."
[...]
"If someone wrote a story 'Joba is a failed starter' - that's just not true," Cashman said. "Bottom line, he's a major-league starting pitcher."
Asked if he could envision Chamberlain going into spring training next year as a rotation candidate, Cashman said: "I don't even want to muddy the waters" by speculating.
What about the Joba Rules? Do the Yankees regret building him up as a starter only to see Chamberlain back in the bullpen again?
"I don't think it's wasted," Girardi said. "There were things that we wanted to look at. We won a World Series. He was helpful - really, extremely helpful - when Chien-Ming Wang went down. He stepped up and was our fourth starter. Obviously, he's moving back to the bullpen possibly this year. He's had success there and we ask all of our guys to try and help us win another championship."
I think he'll be back in the mix next year-- or sooner. Let's hope he's just lights out anywhere they use him, and that Chris Garcia doesn't jump ahead of him on the SP depth chart.
At this point, he needs to go down to Scranton. Three years of these "rules" to develop him as a starter, yet they're not going to stretch out his innings this year.
And that's not even getting into the fact that they changed his mechanics, and his fastball has been gone ever since. For an organization that can afford a $200 million payroll, they ought to be embarrassed. Just go ahead and plan to sign both Lee and Webb next offseason, instead of forcing him to "prove he belongs" in meaningless spring training innings.
What a joke.
Joba has to get serious about baseball. He looked like a whale going into spring training last season then his fastball velocity came down. It may be the shoulder injury, but I believe it's his poor conditioning. I was very much in favor of him being a starter vs. reliever, but seeing how lazy he is I'm fine with this decision. I hope this sends a message to him.
Personally, I think he would give the impression of being a lot more "serious" if his stuff came back. But that would likely require the Yankees to admit they were wrong to change his mechanics, so I'm not holding my breath.
Yanks are still in the mix for DePaula.
Not getting my hopes up Phil. I've seen this movie before, and it still has the same ending.
I don't remember reading that the Yankees altered Joba's mechanics other than the hitch.
Any links on that?
btw, Sean Forman is in the process of changing the formula for ERA+, He actually inadvertently rolled out the new version, but has now rolled it back so he can do it in a more structured way:
link
I watched Joba in Lakeland yesterday against the Tigers. Every batter hit the ball hard against him. Two hard singles, a hard hit double play ball, and a scoreless inning against the Tiger scrubs. His fast ball topped out at 94 on the stadium gun. He still has a lot of work to do to become dominant again.
Joel Zumaya was unbelievable hitting 100 and 101 mph on the gun. Looks like a solid closer for the Tigers.
It's time to accept that he's either pitching injured, or his new mechanics are having an adverse effect.
What new mechanics?
Yeah, Mike, where did you read that?
Horne tore his rotator cuff again?
yup. He's gone for the year.
Damn. Given what he's been through and his age, maybe that's it.
Let's take each day as it comes.
OT,
NYG
Thoughts on Spiller?
Couldn't find the article where it says Eiland altered Joba's mechanics, but here's one detailing those altercations: http://tinyurl.com/yk2l7sy
I was going to start a Spiller thread, but there is something wrong with blogspot right now, and I can't post an image.
Cash was on with Kay. He doesn't think Joba's velo is coming back (although I would have liked a question about what his medical people offer as an explanation). It seemed like he was saying that with his current stuff, he isn't a starter for them (although he said he could start for other teams).
I think it strengthens the case to do what the Jays did with Halladay, and completely rework him.
The opportunity costs of not doing so are high, and it's not like the Yankees deserve the benefit of the doubt in the development of pitchers.
If his velo isn't expected back they should trade him as soon as he gets "hot."
I think sending him down would increase the chances of him eventually getting hot.
Either way, he may still be able to be a good reliever.
Something doesn't at add up.
No, it really doesn't. Is the implication that Joba was taking something he shouldn't when he had better stuff?
No, he said if the velocity was coming back we would have seen it by now, and he said something about how some pitchers start out high octane and don't maintain it.
I think the podcast will be up here later.
Sounds like tough love bs. I don't know why he'd expect it to be back in ST when none of the other starters have their best stuff back yet.
Would anyone trade Joba for Hamilton?
Who would hang up first? Daniels or Cashmen?
I wouldn't trade Joba right now.
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