We Have A Fourth Starter
Mike Mussina earned a playoff start last night. Torre always wanted to go to him and last night he gave Joe a reason to. Yes, Mussina will probably pitch two more times, but unless Hughes dominates his next time out, this race is over.
And that brings up a great question, which pitchers make this postseason roster? You have to figure that Wang, Pettitte, Clemens, Mussina, Rivera, Chamberlain, Vizcaino and Ramirez are locks right now. I would assume Hughes and Villone also make it which leaves 1 or 2 spots open right now.
I say 1 or 2 because I am not sure how many pitchers the Yankees will actually take into the playoffs. Conventional wisdom would dictate that you only need 10 or 11, but look at the current 40-man roster. The Yankees only have 15 hitters and numbers 14 and 15 are Alberto Gonzalez and Bronson Sardinha. Neither one of those guys can steal bases and you wouldn't consider their bats to be weapons, so what value would they provide to a playoff team?
That's why I assume the Yankees take 12 pitchers in the playoffs and those final two spots are truly up for grabs. Joe Torre doesn't trust Kyle Farnsworth, so adding him to the roster is a waste, but it's a move the Yankees will probably make to keep his trade value from dissapearing. (They could have him fake an injury too) I am sure Joe would like a second lefty, but I don't see Henn making it so forget that. (don't mention Igawa to me)I think the last guy could be Ohlendorf.
Now Kennedy has pitched the best, but I don't think the Yankees are going to make him a reliever for the playoffs. Bruney did it last year, but he hasn't been good this year and I don't see Joe trusting him in a big spot. Britton hasn't done much and Joe doesn't seem to want to use Veras in big spots. Joe hasn't used Ohlendorf much, but he keeps talking about how he is intrigued by him. Ohlendorf was bombed as a starter earlier this year and his reliever numbers while not dominant, were better.
It will be interesting to see how this shakes out over the last week.
Comments
I've been a Farnsworth supporter until now, but I've had it with him. Leave him off the roster and give the spot to someone who actually cares -- like Kennedy or Villone or Bruney. And Kennedy can learn a lot just by being there, even if he never pitches. I guarantee you, though, that given some of the ugly games that the Yanks play, they will use every pitcher on the roster.
As for position players, the Yanks have three great clutch hitters in Giambi, Matsui, and Damon. But you can't play all three unless either Cabrera or Mientkewicz sits, thereby hurting the defense.
I'd go with Cabrera and Mientkewicz as starters and stick with them unless their bats become totally useless. Because Matsui is so good against lefties and is still in his prime, I'd play him as DH or LF in every game and alternate between sitting Giambi and Damon. At least it gives you one great pinch-hitter on the bench.
Posted by: Corey | September 20, 2007 01:14 PM |
Damon is so much better than Matsui in LF, I think you are left with either Giambi or Matsui at DH unless you want to throw Giambi in at 1B....For me, I think Betimit is enough of an upgrade over Mienky with the bat to justify being first choice. These are nice problems to have.
Gotta think that the next 10 games, while catching Boston is important is also an open audition to see who makes the playoff roster in the pen. Hot hand gets the prize. I think Mooses past success out of the pen makes him a better option there than as a 4th starter but I think there is a lot of politics with that. Tough to keep Kennedy/Hughes out based on performance but not too sure I want to see them used as relievers.
Posted by: tim | September 21, 2007 12:00 AM |