WHY IT’S NOT ARMAGEDDON IF PINEDA STARTS IN AAA

Before everyone in Yankeeland screams bloody murder that Michael Pineda may go to AAA, let’s all take a deep breath and get some unique perspective on the entire Pineda saga…from non-other than... me.

Look Ladies and Gentlemen, the Yankees made a big trade this winter. Now, ultimately the majority of you were against it. I saw the good and bad of the trade, but it is what it is and now I'm Team Pineda. But I saw the concern, after all, giving up our coveted Jesus Montero was the crazy... he was the future of the New York Yankees. He understood the Yankee way, plus he knew how to swing a bat and many of us pictured 40 home runs a season for the kid, and he only had a brief time in the majors last September...think about that. It’s fun how our minds wondered though, but we got way ahead of ourselves.

Ultimately, when we lost the playoffs in 2011, we realized that we didn’t hit a hell of a lot, but we also needed pitching. It’s something that I feel like we always need, but finding good pitchers are hard to find and sometimes when you find a guy that’s worthy, well, you have to give up someone good for someone good. The Yankees did that with Jesus Montero and received Michael Pineda, a 23 year old pitcher with a ton of potential and a great rookie season under his belt with the Mariners. OK, now take a deep breath…

Pineda game into camp as not only as one of the first guys, but a guy trying to make a good first impression and get acquainted with his teammates. He also came in overweight and lacking alittle velocity. By the way, I am now under the opinion that the velocity story is grossly overblown, but whatever… I’m just a blogger, what the hell do I know? OK... take a deep breath…

Pineda impressed the Yankees this spring, make no mistake and his velocity and coming along nicely. Hey, I think that we are so hyper sensitive about velocity since last season with Phil Hughes, and I think that if Pineda’s body works the way it does and his velocity takes a few extra weeks to get to where it needs to be, we need to let it happen. Well, it’s happening. But of course, after the Andrew Marchand story a few weeks ago about the possibility of Pineda starting the season in the minors, the craziness began (Read HERE), and I said it would happen, Yankee fans would go crazy knowing that Montero gets his season on the pro Mariner team and we got a guy in Pineda, not ready for the big leagues. Breathe in...and... exhale…

So what am I getting at? This… so what if Pineda starts in AAA? What if? What the hell's the big deal? We have CC, Hughes, Nova, Freddy Garcia, Andy Pettitte, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda. We have a lot of pitching. The Yankees have a good problem.

Let’s not forget that sometimes getting away from the New York Yankees and going to AAA can actually help…if you don’t believe me, ask Ivan Nova who came back from AAA and ended up being 16 – 4 last year. Good thinks can happen, plus, as much as we want to win right now in 2012, which we can do with the pitching by the way, what’s the rush if Pineda starts in AAA...ultimately Pineda is a long term investment.

(In Photo: Dellin Betances)

Sure, if he could help immediately, he will, but Pineda will one day help lead with the charge with CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova to help groom guys like Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances. There is no doubt in my mind by 2014, our pitching staff will be young and stellar. Look, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong, but I feel like I’m right about this one.

So yeah, the more I got to thinking about it, the more I’m fine with it. Michael Pineda to start in AAA? Well, It’s not the worst thing in the world, it could just be the best thing and I’m OK with that. At the end of the day... everything's going to work out fine...I feel it.

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