TwitterToo Much Pitching?
29 Jun 2011
No, that won’t be the Yankees’ problem when Phil Hughes and Bartolo Colon come back, but they will have some tough decisions to make. For instance, what are they going to do with Ivan Nova? Throw out his first three starts and he has a 3.60 ERA. Putting him in the bullpen as the long guy is probably the route they will take, but it will be a tough blow to a guy just establishing himself as a major league pitcher. If they do go that route, I hope they think outside the box and try him in the later innings, instead of automatically making him the long guy. Considering his reliance on two pitches (89.6% of his pitches this year have been either a fastball or a curve) you could make the argument his stuff would play better in the pen.
Furthermore, if they move Nova and Gordon out of the rotation who gets sent down to AAA? Buddy Carlyle is the obvious candidate, but who will be the second one? If I am right about Nova becoming a short reliever, then it probably makes sense to send Noesi down to get some innings under his belt. That would leave a pen of- Rivera, Robertson, Nova, Ayala, Logan, Wright and Gordon.
Finally, what will the timing of the moves be? There is some talk of starting Colon against the Mets this weekend. To me that is just stupid as the pitcher will have to hit and the less running Colon does the better. Plus, Gordon was a hitter before he became a pitcher, so why not give him the ball one last time?
Assuming the Yankees come to their senses and realize Colon should be nowhere near a bat they would then have the final seven games before the break to get Colon and Hughes back into the rotation. If Jeter comes back that week as well, it could make for an interesting stretch of games.
Jun 29, 2011 @ 22:57:19
Minor point: nothing says that Colon needs to actually swing a bat or waddle down to first if he gets an AB or three. And, by the way, I laughed out loud when I heard that Colon was practicing bunting in preparation for the NL games.
I would probably move Nova down to AAA to keep him learning and throwing regularly. Nova needs to be ready to go on a moments notice if either Garcia or Colon get hurt.
I’d also think about moving Noesi down to get him so regular work as well. Hector needs to figure out how to miss bats or force ground balls to keep his pitch count down.
Ayala is too effective right now to go anywhere …
Jul 04, 2011 @ 11:27:11
Peter,
Random thoughts and a question or three:
Does a player on the 40 man roster get the MLB minimum salary (as a minimum), or does the minimum only apply to the 25 man roster? IOW, does a kid potentially get a salary bump when he’s brought up and a salary drop when he’s sent down? Yeah, I know he gets to avoid traveling on the bus and staying at the Holiday Inn Express, two to a room – but what about salary?
I’m sort of happy to see Nova go back to AAA as it gives him a chance to refine his stuff – “off camera” and “low pressure”. I think the move is something that he should view as a very positive one for his future. It means that they think he’s a future starter, one who shouldn’t waste time/innings in the pen waiting for an inning here or there. It also means that his stuff doesn’t work well coming in from the pen.
My view is that Mo’s successor is NOT Joba – but possibly Robertson. D Rob has the ability to thrive in tight spots and with all the cameras running. If he can get his walk rate down and avoid putting himself into fires just so he can get out of them – he’ll be a worthy successor to Mo.
Joba? If the kid was throwing like he was with a torn ligamnet, I think he will return much stronger than he was when he first arrived. Control will take at least 18 months, but with the control and the strength and some work on his other pitches, he should be able to join the rotation as a very successful starter.
If any of you get the chance to see Mo pitch, you should try to do it behind home plate to see for yourself just how Mo’s cutter moves. It’s an amazing pitch … only breaks about 4 inches or so, but it does it so late and so sharply that it makes a pitching geek (like me) laugh out loud. BTW, when you see his veloicty vary by more than 2 mph from 91/92, I suggest that it means he’s struggling for consistency. If he’s at 93, he’s gonna get hit, same for 89/90.
Given a choice, I would pass on signing Liriano unless it’s a sweetheart deal. That guy makes AJ look “rock steady” consistent. Wandy Rodriguez? Sign him or pass on him? And if he’s signed, who gets moved out of the rotation? Kuroda? Seems like a short term fix to a problem we don’t have at the monent?
Have a happy and safe 4th everyone !
Jul 06, 2011 @ 09:57:24
Mitchell
Assuming he isn’t signed to any sort of contract, he gets the Major league minimum when he is in the majors and then earns a minor league salary when he is demoted. So, this move cost Nova some $$.
D-Rob has to stop walking guys. You’re right about his makeup, perfect for a closer, but those walks are going to kill him.
Don’t know if you saw it, but ESPN Sport Science did a piece on Rivera’s cutter. Amazing to watch them break it down.