WHY THE YANKEES WILL FORCE 5th SPOT COMPETITION

So with Phil Hughes completing his contract, and Freddy Garcia signing a 1 year deal with the Yankees, plus AJ Burnett who’s still pitching for the New York Yankees, it looks as though we have alittle competition at the 5 spot of the rotation. So who will it be?

At first glance, I would have automatically given it to Freddy Garcia. After all, he earned it in 2011 and that has to be in the back of the mind of the Yankee brass. Then you also have to think though, “Golden Boy” Hughes is someone the Yankees have always had a hard-on for and he's equally as important to the Yanks. They have never wanted to part with this guy; they love his stuff and they are just dying for him to explode and be an 18 win pitcher every season. There is no doubt the 2 of them, both Garcia and Hughes will be competing for the 5^th spot and it will be interesting.

Then, of course there is AJ Burnett, the guy who’s pretty much working his way out of the starting rotation and into the role of red-headed step-child. (To any red-headed step-children who read BYB, it’s an expression.) I wrote WHY WE NEED AJ BURNETT RIGHT because we do and he knows he has to perform. The fact that his agent would come out and say that AJ Burnett “expects to be in the rotation” is not only stupid, it’s arrogant, especially when defending a client who hasn’t earned any spot to “expect” anything. Read HERE. AJ Burnett can’t walk into Spring Training expecting a rotation spot. Cashman is brilliant in this regard… now these guys are going to have to earn their spot.

Now, because the Yankees nailed down Phil Hughes for 1 year, $3.2 million, I find it highly unlikely they will do what I have suggested often they would do, move him to the bullpen. They want to see the guy work for a spot. Garcia, while he earned a spot will be under a microscope and I can guarantee that if they see anything they don’t like this Spring, they’ll push to move Garcia to the pen as their long man, a role he originally was set to take with the Yanks in 2011. Read HERE.

When it comes to AJ Burnett, there is only one thing that will happen, he has to prove to the Yankees that not only can he still pitch, but he can’t lose when August hits. They will no doubt have him on a tight leash come August, because, my opinion on Burnett is simple now; you don’t provide results, you've got to go and on a bad day, don’t be surprised if the Yankees decide to dump AJ and eat his salary. They need to be close to fed up by now, despite what Cashman may say. I see what they’re doing, they spent a lot of money on the guy, they just want to work him and make sure their investment won’t go sour. The trouble is, it is going sour, right before their eyes.

Since the acquisition of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, things are getting interesting in Yankeeland and as far as that 5^th spots concerned… may the best man win.

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