The Roster Is Set
The Yankees made their cuts tonight and they chose to put Andy Pettitte on the DL to start the season which makes a lot of sense.
The bench is not a surprise, Betemit, Duncan, Ensberg and Molina, but with 12 pitchers making the team the Yankees took a bit of a different route. Instead of going with the long guy, they went with extra righty relievers. Billy Traber made it as the lefty, but so did Bruney, Ohlendorf and Albie. You know that one of the final three will be sent down Saturday to make room for Pettite, but based on Girardi repeating his earlier preference for a long reliever tonight it could be two of them. In effect, the Yankees have extended Spring Training by a week and those three will be fighting to keep their big league positions.
As for the roster, there are a couple of problems I have with it. First, who is the guy playing first in a tight game? I am going to guess that Betemit or Ensberg fill that role, but I don't know if that is much of an upgrade. And, while we are at it, is the plan really to put Giambi at first for 100+ games? If so, expect that plan to fail badly in 2008.
And, while Traber has nice numbers, he is the second coming of Mike Myers. I would love to see the Yankees carry 11 pitchers and just let someone else loose on the lefties. But, Traber is the guy for now, just don't expect it to stick if he continues his career patterns against lefties and righties.
But, that's where we are and the Yankees will spend the first four weeks of the season playing 27 games with 18 of them on the road, not the best recipie to a quick start.
Comments
My guess is that we'll see Patterson in the bigs this year. Guy looked too good to ignore for long.
Wonder if Kyle will settle in to his 2005 level of performance or if he'll still struggle. Perhaps Giradi will handle him better than Torre and bring out the best in him.
I keep coming back to Moose and how bad he looks. There may be some very tough decisions to make about him fairly soon unless he can find his way back. When he's bad, he's a huge liability.
I agree about Traber, but if it becomes a Sox - Yankees season in the East, and if he can whiff Ortiz when needed, he'll probably stay with us. I am NOT a fan, however, of one trick players taking up a spot on the 25 though.
Looking at the pitching roster, I'm struck by how much younger the team seems to be excepting Moose and Mo. Cashman's prior trades are being felt.
Play Ball !!!
Posted by: Mitchell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 29, 2008 09:20 AM
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I think you are absolutely on about Patterson, I think they just want to see him pitch at AAA before he goes to the bigs.
As for Moose, I just don't know who is going to be better than him at this point. You hope that one of the kids in AAA tears up that league and makes it an easy decision, but if not the Yankees could be in trouble.
Posted by: Peter![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 29, 2008 11:29 AM
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Just read a story that Patterson wasn't too happy about being sent down. Good ! At least he not passive enough to say, "Oh well". Yep, we'll see him back. I wouldn't want to face him in AAA in the next week or so. He's going to be brutal with all opposing hitters.
Posted by: Mitchell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 30, 2008 08:05 AM
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