WE KNOW WHAT SEVERINO'S NEW ROLE SHOULD BE!

Opening Day is right around the corner, and the Yankees will be missing another pitcher. It's frustrating but honestly, not surprising that Luis Severino will miss some time. 

It's a pattern we are all familiar with. Severino will join Frankie Montas and Carlos Rodon on the Injured list, with his third lat strain of his extensive injury filled career. This is his fifth consecutive season with an injury and since he's no stranger to lat strains I am sure the Yankees have a general idea of how long he will be out, but it is still going to hurt.

We already knew the risk that came with Severino, but Frankie Montas hasn't been a good move for us and the Yankees have been hoping Domingo German would be a staple in the rotation. I've always thought the Yankees rely too much on Severino and German instead of trying to upgrade the rotation. Now I miss Jordan Montgomery more than ever and really wish the Yankees hadn't given  JP Sears, Ken Waldichuk, and Luis Medina to the Oakland A's. Our depth isn 't as deep as I would like it to be.

The Yankees do have some options, but I think Deivi Garcia and Jhony Brito are two candidates that stand out the most to me. Last year, I thought Garcia was in a race against time. He wasn't pitching well and there were several young kids coming up behind him. Now that some of those guys are gone, he has a chance to prove that he has fixed all of his mechanics issues and be a big league pitcher again. I'd like to see Brito pitch more now that Aaron Boone has been singing his praises.

The Yankees have options, thankfully. I think one additional option they need to think about when Severino is finally "healthy" again is moving him out of a starting role and into the bullpen. His mechanics have always been a long term concern, so I think he will be more effective in the bullpen. Call it a hunch but I think he's destined for the bullpen and will be more effective there.

Now if I could just convince the Yankees....because I'm willing to bet I am right.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj