Starter- Long man competition in Spring Training

There are just a couple of days more than 3 weeks until pitchers and catchers report.  I think we can draw some conclusions about the Yankees’ thinking by examining what they have done and not done.

They like last year’s team.  We can conclude this because they have changed the team very little.  They have substituted Jones for Thames.  There is no doubt this is a defensive upgrade.  But the big question is pitching.

They gave Cliff Lee the opportunity to join the staff.  When he declined they have stood pat.  We know that they made Pavano an offer.  IT was not an overpowering offer and they let themselves be outbid.  We do not know who else they made offers to, just that they were not taken.  From this I conclude that they like what they have better than we may think.  So, what is up?

CC, Hughes, and AJ are locks.  That leaves us two to 4 slots.  Two starters are definitely required.  I think they also need one or two pitchers of the description ‘long man and spot starter’.  One of these guys can be in Scranton with a Limo in the parking lot.  Let’s look at who’s on the 40 man roster.

Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre are the ones we have penciled in.  I have bored PA with how little confidence I have in Nova, so I’ll say little more here.  Nova had a big league WHIP of 1.45.  If he’s to be a big leaguer he’ll have to do a lot better.  Mitre should be all the way back from his Tommy John.  His 1.09 WHIP last year was really great, but he does not have the confidence of fans and press.  I am afraid he will be booed at every appearance.  It will be hard for him to be effective in front of a YS crowd primed to hate him for ineffectiveness.  I do not believe the Yankee brass is standing pat based on confidence in Nova and Mitre.

The following are also on the 40 man roster and could be thought of as starters or potential starters.

Joba Chamberlain has started in the bigs.  Last year he pitched to a 1.30 WHIP and Brian Cashman has said he’ll be in the pen.  This makes me think Cash thinks he has better options to start.

Romulo Sanchez is on the 40 man. He is 26 and 6’5" 260.  He mixed relief with a few starts in AAA.  He pitched to a 1.409 WHIP.  Doesn’t look like a great option to me.

Dellin Betances is on the 40.  He is 6’8" and 245.  He had less than a full year in AA and no work above that.  However he rocked a 0.88 WHIP.  That is a big number.  I would be surprised if he made the rotation out of Spring Training, but the Yanks might be conscious of not blocking him and the other young studs.  It would have taken 2 years to get Pavano.  He would have been blocking by the second year for sure.

Andrew Brackman is on the 40.  Andrew was a high draft choice and had Surgery.  He is 25 years old and 6’10", 240 pounds.  He is in the option year of his original contract.  He is a Scott Boras client.  His 1.301 WHIP last year at AA and below does nnot show he’s ready, but he’s been a big prospect and now is the time to show that he can pitch in the big leagues.  He really needs to make progress, but does not figure to make the team.

Hector Noesi is 24.  At 6’2" and 230 he is a baby in this group.  He started in A, AA and AAA last year and did well, actually very well, with a 1.098 WHIP.  He had moderate SO numbers but kept his walks down and is ahead of Brackman in results and perhaps a step ahead of Betances in development.  I think he will have a chance to make the team with a great spring.

Steve Garrison is a little Lefty (6’1", 185) the Yanks took as a rule 5 from Boston.  Nothing in his numbers says he can pitch in the bigs, but the Yanks wouldn’t have taken him if they weren’t going to give him a shot.

Of course a Andy Pettitte comeback would change the number of openings.  None of these guys are going to beat out Andy, CC, AJ or Hughes.  But the strange inactivity of the Yankees this winter has set the stage for an interesting Spring Training Competition.