I'm pinch hitting for Ed today, so it'll just be a few quick links for you to start your day with.
Happy Friday!
Phil Hughes will be the 5th starter, but that doesn't really provide clear definition on Joba's role. MLB.com, though already has him slotted in as primary set-up man.
Chad Gaudin is gone. No one was interested in trading with Brian Cashman, but Gaudin is already drawing interest from a couple teams.
Former Yankee prospect Dan McCutchen has been named the Pirates 5th starter, joining my former prospect man-crush Ross Ohlendorf in the Pirates rotation.
I take flak from time to time for defending everything Brian Cashman does. Much of that is well earned.
But take a look around the big leagues to see how Cashman has transformed the Yankees' farm system since he took full control: IPK will start the season in the rotation in Arizona and Zach Kroenke will be in the pen; Kanekoa Texeira (acquired in Swisher deal, lost in Rule 5) will join the M's bullpen; Brian Bruney and Tyler Clippard are in the Nats' pen; Phil Coke has a role in Detroit; Jeff Marquez is on the White Sox 40-man and just left big league camp.
That's nearly an entire pitching staff made up of Yankee spare parts and players too far down the depth chart to be protected on the 40-man.
Friend of PA, Frankie Pilliere of AOL Fanhouse saw Christian Garcia pitch:
Consider the arsenal Garcia showed off on Wednesday. His plus fastball with good movement produces a huge amount of groundballs and broken bats. His curveball is an elite, swing-and-miss type pitch. And, he has a changeup he can locate with excellent consistency with a 10-14 mph differential from his fastball. The main complaint about the Yankees farm system from a pitching perspective is that they lack a hurler with frontline upside in the upper levels of their system. If Garcia is on the field and throwing like he did on Wednesday, that won't be the case for long.
Frankie gave Garcia's curve a 7 (of 8) on the scouting scale and the changeup a 6.
I've been waiting for Garcia to get healthy for years. Frankly, I'm not waiting any more, but if he can keep it together he'll be a big name at the end of the season.