Offseason Outline

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 7:47 PM EST in New York Yankees Analysis

Hey everyone! This is the new writer, Brandon. I previously wrote for The Pinstriper as the founder and main contributor. After receiving and accepting an offer from Ed to write for Pinstripe Alley, I decided that I should give you guys a little bit of info about my style of writing.

-I love to use hyperlinks.

-I tend to write in many different paragraphs.

-I will always comment back.

-You can email me at bco004@yahoo.com.

-You can follow me on twitter here.

Anyway, on to my first post!

The Yankees have had a pretty busy offseason so far, with the Curtis Granderson trade and the Nick Johnson signing.

This begs the question: Now what?

Here's what I would do:

1. Sign Justin Duchscherer.

Duchscherer is a solid #3 or #4 starter in the AL East. With a career ERA of 1.83 vs. the Red Sox, 1.48 vs. the Rays, 2.78 vs. the Orioles, and 3.09 vs. the Blue Jays, I think he has proven that he can pitch in the AL East. If the Yankees can get him on a one-year deal worth about $8-9 million OR a two-year deal worth about $15 Million, why not take the chance? Worst comes to worse he struggles and the Yankees move on to option B. Plus, the Red Sox are considering signing Duchscherer. The Yankees can NOT afford to lose another starter to the Red Sox at this point.

WARNING: Duchscherer seems to get worse as the season goes along.

2. Sign Chien-Ming Wang.

I honestly do not know how much money this would cost, or even if this is a legitimate option. Chad Jennings reported (as we posted before) that the Yankees may match any offer given to the sinker-baller. Why not? Adds depth and if he is back to the old Wang, that could be one deadly rotation.

WARNING: Wang may not accept an offer from the Yankees. If he does he could struggle again and prove to be a big waste of money.

3. Have Joba start the season in the bullpen, Hughes in the rotation.

Joba Chamberlain is an MLB relief-pitcher. I have said this from the second he stepped foot on the mound at Yankee Stadium. He has no fire when he starts and just plain doesn't enjoy himself. The Yankees may benefit through trade value if they use him as a starter, but if they plan on keeping him he needs to be a reliever. If he pitches well enough he is the future closer. As for Hughes, as good as he was last year in the bullpen he is meant to be a starter. He doesn't base his performance on adrenaline like Joba does. He bases it on his god-given talent and he is one talented pitcher. The Yankees NEED at least one of the two to be a starter and that one should be Hughes.

WARNING: Either player could struggle with their role switch.

4. Keep all outfielders.

Everyone seems to be begging the Yankees to trade Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner, or even Nick Swisher. Why? What harm is done by the Yankees keeping all of the outfielders? Have the Melky/Gardy platoon in left, Granderson in center, and Swisher in right. Hoffmann can be the backup.

WARNING: No problem with this one.

Otherwise, I don't see any moves that are necessary. Have a competition for the utility job and the bullpen spots, with Cervelli being the backup catcher.

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Yankees all day.

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." ~Rogers Hornsby

"If you're not doing it right, you're doing it wrong. And there's no in between." ~Mark "Lunch" McKenzie

by Onishadow14 on Dec 21, 2009 8:09 PM EST reply actions

I disagree...

with moving Joba to the pen. Give him another year of starting. If he’s still ineffective, then fine, make him a reliever.

by Wraithpk on Dec 21, 2009 8:17 PM EST reply actions

Agreed

The scenario in which Joba went to the pen and Hughes started required adding a starter through FA or trade (and not giving up Joba or Hughes in the process).
Sign Duchscher or Sheet or whomever. But that guy is competing for a spot against Hughes, Joba, McAllister, Mitre, Gaudin and any other pitcher who comes to camp. It’s still a major league salary in the bullpen.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Dec 21, 2009 8:23 PM EST up reply actions

Joba

Many people disagree with me on that one. I feel that the more the Yankees mess with him the worse he will get. Basically, the Yankees must make a choice this year and stick with it. This year they should sit down, think what’s best for the team and Joba, and stick with that decision for the rest of his career.

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 8:19 PM EST reply actions

They've made their choice

he’s starting, and thats really the end of it. Thats the reason that he went through all that crap with the innings limits last year. This year, he will be starting, right from the start to finish, with no limitations, and thats where he’ll probably be the rest of his career. He’s a starter. Do I like it? Not really. I think he’s a much more effective guy out of the pen. But it’s not my decision. The Yankees are sticking to him as a starter, and all we can do is sit back and hope he’s successful.

by nyyrocks29 on Dec 21, 2009 8:52 PM EST up reply actions

Please let Joba start. Please let Joba start.

We can all agree that the Yankees handled Joba badly going back to 2008. He should have started 08 in the minors, starting, but instead the Yankees felt pressure to keep him in the majors because of how well he did in 07. The injury and the back and forth between the bullpen and rotation made 08 a wash for him. Then there was 09. Through July, Joba was 7-2 with a 3.59 ERA. He was allowing too many baserunners and not going deep enough into games, but all in all he wasn’t performing badly at all for a guy who had less than 30 career starts and who had hardly pitched in the minors. On August 1st the Yankees started messing with his innings and he fell apart.

With all that being said, the Yankees need to figure out what they have before they banish Joba to setup duty. I say give him 2010 as a real starter – no innings limit, no extra rest – just a starter. If he succeeds then we have a starter going forward. If not, he can still go back to the pen. I just hate the idea of deciding this Joba can’t start before we actually find that out.

Oh, and everything I just said about Joba also applies to Phil Hughes.

by Let's Talk About Tex Baby on Dec 21, 2009 9:52 PM EST up reply actions

'figure out what they have before they banish Joba to setup duty'

Well said!
Just don’t put a time limit on it. Joba just turned 24. Now go look at the top pitchers in history, living or dead, still playing or not, and see what they were doing when they were 24 or 25 or 26. 98.4% fo them were either still in the monors or not very good.

by Peter Lacock on Dec 21, 2009 10:49 PM EST up reply actions

I like

the Justin duchscherer idea. I think he could be in the bullpen and when the Yanks need a start he could help out. But i do think u have to let Joba pitch in the rotation because he was making enormous strides before they began to limit his innings. Remember he is still very young.

by Brooklynsoul on Dec 21, 2009 8:24 PM EST reply actions

Joba Part II

Responding to the young part I honestly have nothing against him pitching in the rotation, but do you want guaranteed spots for Hughes and Joba? I know I don’t. Would you send Hughes/Joba back to AAA? For the current Yankees, Joba fits in better as a reliever. For the future….it’s very questionable. Maybe see how he does in spring training

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 8:30 PM EST reply actions

Joba Part III

What I meant to include also is that the Yankees MUST decide Joba’s final place this season. If they keep switching him he will lose effectiveness. I am for either/or starting/relieving, but they need to set in stone which.

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 8:31 PM EST reply actions

i definitely agree with that.

" You F@#$ed Up, You Trusted Us!"

by GTWYankee on Dec 21, 2009 8:55 PM EST up reply actions

I don't agree with any of it

by Peter Lacock on Dec 21, 2009 10:53 PM EST up reply actions

I didn’t know you were such good buds with Joba that you know he doesn’t enjoy being a starting pitcher. You would think someone who doesn’t enjoy starting wouldn’t have been a starter the first 20 years of his baseball career…

Greg F.
http://pendingpinstripes.net

by gfertel on Dec 21, 2009 8:36 PM EST reply actions

Yeah, I would think the exact opposite is true

If you ask every reliever, most have accepted their role but I’d bet almost all would prefer to play more.

by Peter Lacock on Dec 21, 2009 10:55 PM EST up reply actions

I agree

that they do need to set in stone what ever role he is going to do. And for the guaranteed spots i think Hughes is who they should worry about because he is going to have his innings limited this year. That’s why u sign a Duchscherer or someone else that is effective so that u can give him days off in between.

by Brooklynsoul on Dec 21, 2009 8:39 PM EST reply actions

Me and Joba go way back, actually lol. Not necessarily saying he doesn’t enjoy it, just seems like he enjoys bullpen duties more. You can tell by the way he acts. He is often pumping his fist and getting into the game when he pitches out of the bullpen, while when he is a starter he saves his energy and doesn’t really show much emotion (except for the game against the Indians)

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 8:41 PM EST reply actions

See now, I think that's not the best demeanor for a reliever

I’d rather he were stoic like Mo.
I’ve seen him pump his fist several times when he was starting and I’ve also heard the media crticize him for doing it.
The next time a players outward behavior determines his position on the field will be the first time.

by Peter Lacock on Dec 21, 2009 11:01 PM EST up reply actions

well when ur a starter u normally have to save your energy.

by Brooklynsoul on Dec 21, 2009 8:52 PM EST reply actions

I disagree on Duchscherer

I’d rather they go after Sheets. More upside. Sheets is one of the top pitchers in baseball when healthy. Remember he started the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium for the NL. He’s good. Maybe a low cost, one year deal with incentives? Put in an option for a second? I would do that for Sheets.

I really want Wang back. There’s no reason NOT to bring him back. He deserves a chance to sort out his career as a Yankee. I agree with you there.

Also, I think something they could do is to trade Melky/Gardner for another pitcher, preferably to me, a reliever. The Yankees need another arm in that bullpen. And Melky would make a good trading chip to get one. Trading Melky would also reopen the door for a possible return for Johnny Damon, who I really want back. I’m not against keeping all the OF though.

by nyyrocks29 on Dec 21, 2009 8:55 PM EST reply actions

yea but he and his agent are being ridiculous they were asking for $10-12 per year

by Brooklynsoul on Dec 21, 2009 9:01 PM EST reply actions

Sheets

I worry about his health and overall talent level after a year off from baseball. I’d give him 1 year $6 million with $4 million in incentives but he would never accept that.

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 9:03 PM EST reply actions

maybe he will

he’s never getting the 13 million he wants from anyone. He’ll have to lower his price eventually.

by nyyrocks29 on Dec 21, 2009 9:05 PM EST up reply actions

The Yankees wouldn't give Wang 1 yr/4 mil guaranteed

they’re not going to give any other injured type pitcher more than that.
Pettitte got 5.5 mil last year and he pitched the year before. They’re not going to offer more to a guy that didn’t even pitch last year.
No organization will.
These guys will likely get low guaranteed-incentive laden contracts.
Don’t believe anything you hear. People that like stats should keep track and they would find that 9 out of 10 rumors are false. Good luck figuring out which one is true before hand.

by Peter Lacock on Dec 21, 2009 11:18 PM EST up reply actions

Sheets will probably get a big enough contract. Remember Harden got 8, Penny got 8.

by Brandon C. on Dec 22, 2009 10:43 AM EST up reply actions

At some point you have to pee or get off the pot with Joba and Hughes

2010 will be the fourth (partial) season for both Joba and Hughes. The Yankees brass needs to let both of these guys start, and stick with the plan until it fails miserably.
And sorry, but a 4.75 ERA for a 23 year old starting pitcher in the AL East does NOT qualify as failing miserably.

Fist pumping is not a statistic. Emotion is not a statistic. All this talk about which role Joba is best suited for is the result of bloated media establishment that stretches the meaning of “news” to it’s loosest possibly interpretation, so they simply have something to talk about every day.

A good starter is worth more than a good reliever. In 2009, five relief pitchers were worth 5 or more wins above replacement; by comparison, 21 starters were worth that much or more.

The Yankees need to let both of them start for an entire season, uninterrupted, before anybody can make any kind of meaningful judgments about their abilities.

by 3460kuri on Dec 21, 2009 9:04 PM EST reply actions

After last season

Hughes isn’t starting all year. I promise you we’ll see some “Hughes Rules” next year. I hope he fares better than Joba did this year with them.

by nyyrocks29 on Dec 21, 2009 9:06 PM EST up reply actions

+1

They are both extremely talented, which means they should be put in the most important role. That means starting. Thank god the Yankees brass knows this.

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Dec 21, 2009 9:51 PM EST up reply actions

All true guys. Good job!

I would add to the ‘pee or get off the pot’ part, Chamberlain & Hughes should have been in the minors out of the spotlight going thru these growing pains, developing their arms and increasing their innings. Instead they had to do it in the majors because of the shortage of good pitchers in NY. I hope this never happens again because there are too many people that like the misery of complaining, can’t grasp the concept of evolution and are too impatient to watch it unfold.

by Peter Lacock on Dec 21, 2009 11:33 PM EST up reply actions

They need a set in stone plan once again. I have no problem with any decision as long as they set the decision in stone. About the emotions what I am saying is he seems to respond to the situations better. I don’t think Joba failed as a starter I just think that they could mess him up by trying him out one more year and if he pitches badly moving him again. They can always keep him as a starter if he pitches bad, but that has no point. So basically this year is huge for him.

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 9:09 PM EST reply actions

Joba will be a starter for the full year

and they have said all along that he will be a starter for the Yankees long term.

Hughes will be a starter for the Yankees, but will be used in the bullpen to prevent a gross increase in innings pitched. Eventually, this limit will be removed and he will be a starter.

How much more “in stone” do you want? Do you want Hank and Cash to mail you stone tablets?

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Dec 21, 2009 9:53 PM EST up reply actions

I think I would like that.

The stone tablets of course.

Yankees all day.

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." ~Rogers Hornsby

"If you're not doing it right, you're doing it wrong. And there's no in between." ~Mark "Lunch" McKenzie

by Onishadow14 on Dec 21, 2009 11:01 PM EST up reply actions

More for Joba than for Hughes, but the switching is the problem. I’m not buying that both Joba and Hughes will get starting spots especially with the news that the Yankees are trying hard to getting a starter. My guess is that the Yankees try to keep both starters as long as possible, but Joba eventually becomes a reliever. I obviously could be wrong, but thats just what I see happening. Hal is the man in charge.

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 9:57 PM EST reply actions

Other than CC and AJ

who is a lock to be a starter in the future? Why can’t Joba and Hughes eventually improve and join that rotation?

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Dec 21, 2009 10:18 PM EST up reply actions

and why does it have to be decided right away?

These guys are babies. Their prime years are 4 or more years away.

by Peter Lacock on Dec 21, 2009 11:36 PM EST up reply actions

Hmm

I agree with everything but, and I have a big but here, I am 100% opposed to Joba in the ‘pen, he has shown starter potential and we really haven’t given him a full shot.

Other than that, everything else sounds nice, welcome to PA.

"We're only going to score 17 points?"

by Edgware on Dec 21, 2009 10:15 PM EST reply actions

This year at least, Pettitte. Not saying they can’t but saying that if the Yankees get a starter tonight thats 4 starters plus one of Hughes and Joba the other is out.

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 10:19 PM EST reply actions

Never can have too many starting pitchers

Pettitte will retire soon and injuries are inevitable. They both need to be stretched out and be starting. Probably by 2011 neither of them will see the pen ever again.

Just thought I’d welcome you to PSA by vehemently disagreeing with you about Joba. It’s a tradition here. :)

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Dec 21, 2009 10:25 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks edgware!

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 10:19 PM EST reply actions

Haha its no problem can’t pass up a good argument. I still don’t get if we are talking about 2010 specifically or the future. I personally am talking about 2010 specifically in the comments but future in the post I think? Great, now I’m confused. Overall, Pettitte will probably end his career after this year (another guess) and then we’ll see what happens. As for THIS year, Hughes OR Joba will be in the rotation it looks like

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 10:31 PM EST reply actions

I seems likely to me

that Joba will start in the rotation. If the Yanks pick up another starter, Hughes starts in the ‘pen. If there is an injury in the rotation, Hughes will fill in. If not, I wouldn’t be shocked if Hughes was sent to AAA to start some games.

If healthy, I think that Joba spends the whole year in the rotation, and Hughes throws 140 innings at a combination of AAA-MLB and by 2011 will be a full time starter.

This sticker is dangerous and inconvenient, but I do love Fig Newtons.

by Lord Duggan on Dec 21, 2009 10:38 PM EST up reply actions

The way I see it these 'Joba to the pen' people

have no patience, have closed their minds, are thinking very simplistically and have not yet learned enough about player development or baseball in general. The same applies to the "Hughes to the pen’ and the ‘Melky sucks’ people. The mountains of factual evidence and the Yankees approach outweigh the rush to judgement these boys and immature men want to employ. I’m not going to waste my time going thru the list of factual evidence as it has been repeated ad nauseam other than to say there are zero twenty-somethings that anyone should pigeonhole.
I’m also sick and frakin tired of hearing about it. Chamberlain threw 150 frakin innings last year, let him play and let’s see what happens.

by Peter Lacock on Dec 21, 2009 10:42 PM EST reply actions

Melky doesn’t suck I can say that much. Hughes is a starter, too. We’ll see what happens in spring training….all I know is that it will certainly be interesting!

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 10:45 PM EST reply actions

Joba and Hughes

will start in 2010. The Yanks need patience with him because he will be a sold starter as he showed last year before they limited him. His ERA ballooned because Joba typically gets better as the game goes on and since he was only allowed three or so innings he couldn’t make it better. With Hughes it will be tough cause they will need to limit him and i think they should do what the tigers did with Rick Porcello which was start him on six or seven days rest every time out. That’s where u add a starting pitcher in like Duchscherer or a (hopefully cheap) Sheets

by Brooklynsoul on Dec 21, 2009 10:46 PM EST reply actions

With a trade tonight they won’t have room for both barring injury.

Sorry guys, I am done commenting for the night, I have to go. I’ll try to respond to any comments tomorrow!

by Brandon C. on Dec 21, 2009 10:51 PM EST reply actions

I like everything in your post

and I like your writing style.

I think with regards to Joba, it’s unfortunate that he didn’t get a chance to really develop more in the minors before being brought up for the bullpen in 07 and then stuck there in 08. I think, as has been said before above me, that before his innings limit was enforced (where they had him pitching 3-4 innings a game, not even enough to get a win, so what motivation is that for him?) he pitched very well for someone in the rotation for the first time in their MLB career.

Maybe if they trade for someone, even if it’s just for the next year, they can leave either Joba or Hughes in AAA for the year to develop more fully to be ready for the rotation in 2011 when/if Andy retires. They can still be September call-ups to get some MLB innings.

If Joba is in the rotation and Melky is in the outfield, I’m confident that they’ll both have breakout years and earn and keep their spots on the roster for the forseeable future (though I think Melky has done that already, but I mean offensively for him).

by phonty on Dec 22, 2009 12:08 AM EST reply actions