THE WEAKEST SPOT ON THE LINEUP CARD IS THE GUY SIGNING IT

Joe Girardi's annual  long reliever competition is off and running, and so far it looks like a dead heat among the young contestants who all mistakenly believe they're  auditioning for a regular turn in the rotation. 

All but one, that is.

Adam Warren, who along with Bryan Mitchell, Luis Cessa, Luis Severino and Chad Green is hoping to win one of the team's two vacant rotation spots, nailed his two-inning spring starting debut Saturday; pounding the strike zone with his full complement of pitches, efficiently disposing of all six batters he faced and striking out the last two for a finale. 

Not surprising coming from the only Yankee besides ace Masahiro Tanaka with at least 17 starts in 2015 to finish with a sub-4.00 ERA. 

3.66 to be exact. That was  just .15 points higher  than Tanaka's on just seven fewer starts. But then he got kicked to the bullpen after Chris Capuano and Esmil Rogers showed they had nothing left in the tank and he got burned to a cinder  throwing the equivalent of nearly four more full games in intermittent spot relief the rest of the way until he had to be shut down. 

Our second best starting pitcher. What a rotten waste of a perfectly good hairy arm. That was just one season ago. Another Joba-cide in the first degree.

So wouldn't you  think after Saturday's stellar outing he'd be pumped up about this latest "competition" for a shot at the rotation?

Well, as it turns out, he knows better, and he told NJ Advance Media's Randy Miller so -- and in the process it appears he exposed a disconnect in the company line Joe and his pitching coach are supposed to be spreading regarding this circus masquerading as a rotation contest.

"I think in 2015 I really figured out that I really wanted to start," Warren said. "I really enjoyed seeing hitters multiple times, working through a game, throwing 100 pitches and going deep I still love pitching in general, so it's not like I'm unhappy in the bullpen. I just like starting a little bit more and that's where I'd like to be."

But ...

"I talked to (pitching coach) Larry (Rothschild) about that the other day. He's like, 'It's probably going to hurt you that you're good out of the bullpen and you're flexible too.' I was like, 'I know.'"

Girardi was asked about Rothschild's comment during his post-game interview.

"I didn't say that," Girardi said, referring to Warren's strong bullpen resume possibly sabotaging his bid to start. "Some people might view it that way. I don't necessarily view it that way because you know that he's been successful in both places where some of these other guys you're not sure. But I think you have to take a long look at it and decide what's best in the long run. For this year, who gives us the best chance to win?"

Yep, some people might view it that way, Joe. Like your own pitching coach and de facto number two starting pitcher from 2015, apparently. What must young starting pitchers up and down  our system think and say about their career path ending up playing in the Bronx, I wonder. 

There's other signs to believe this contest is just the usual pre-season lipstick on  Joe's  and Larry Rothschild's juggling act that bounces  young starters between the rotation, bullpen and the Scranton Shuttle to keep the cost of relievers and starters under budget -- and in the process can infamously delay (and in some cases has been known to outright reverse) years of progress made in their development. 

Speaking to NJ Advance Media's Brendan Kuty on Saturday, Joe casually but firmly dismissed Brian Cashman's offseason assertion that Severino wouldn't be a candidate for Joe's revolving door of young bullpen swing men and  that he would either be a starter in the Bronx on Opening Day or a starter down in the minors working to come back as one. 

"We really haven't talked but I think you have to look at him both ways, too, because he did a good job in that role," Girardi said.

So Severino, like Warren,  is also already being told he's likely not auditioning for a starting spot with the big club but more of a sometimes starter/most times bullpen role because of his "good job" in that latter role. This in spite of what Joe's boss publicly said after being informed by more informed baseball people in the organization  it was this very role that ruined him last year and isn't likely to be conducive to his -- or anybody's -- development as a future MLB starter.

In Joe's eyes, if Tanaka was still on his rookie contract or any kind of  team-friendly deal he  would be a prime candidate  for a trip on the Joba-cide Express too. 

In Joe's binder, if you're a starter who has proven talent and a team-friendly contract, you're available for anything, any day, anytime and your future is unimportant. But if you're overpaid to be a starter, your place in the rotation is secure.

What kind of ridiculous junior GM fantasy baseball logic is it that would prompt the manager of a team desperately in need of major league-caliber  starting pitching -- the most precious hard-to-find commodity in the game -- to be considering Warren and Severino, his only two rotation candidates with any solid proven starting experience, for the role of middle relievers, arguably the least valuable, cheapest commodity available in the game. 

Brian's done a masterful job of restocking the farm, reloading the lineup with youth and re-balancing the budget while struggling under  a tight-fisted boss above him, an impatient fan base surrounding him and push back from a skipper below him who -- like the one he replaced -- has his own way of doing things and declines to yield to even the most obvious conclusions easily.

Joe's annual fake news about spring rotation battles isn't anything new. But in this crucial season where the youth movement is finally about to come of age as the rotation reaches critical mass,  Joe's resistance to change is looking more and more like the biggest weakness on the Yankees lineup card.

 --Barry Millman
BYB Writer
Twitter: @nyyankeefanfore
  

35% OFF YOUR ORDER at SteinerSports.com! Use code FATTUESDAY through midnight EST 2/28 only!

DONT BE SURPRISED IF THE YANKS SNIFF AROUND DILLON GEE

As you know, the Yankees want a righty pitcher.  There is much debate about what they actually want, be it a reliever or starter, or both.

Now, as you know, they eliminated Esmil Rogers after that just wasn't working out, and then they snagged Sergio Santos. 

They've also been attached to Johnny Cueto, although, if you ask BYB writer Ike Dimitriadis about it, he'll tell you that he just doesn't see that as a good fit.  I tend to agree with him.

Now, you also may know that the Mets designated Dillon Gee for assignment, and then dropped him from their roster.  I'm here to tell you I have no doubt, the Yankees will be looking at this guy closely, if they haven't sniffed around his hydrant already.   Why? Well... here it is...

Hardball Talk writes: "It’s still possible they’ll find a taker, since designating him for assignment gives them 10 days to potentially trade Gee, but clearly the level of interest in him has been minimal. It also didn’t help their efforts that Gee has allowed 29 runs in 40 innings this season and missed time with a groin injury. 

When healthy Gee has been a decent middle-of-the-rotation starter, posting a 3.91 ERA in 640 innings prior to this season, and he’s still under 30."

He's cheap, it's easy and the Yanks will treat it as an experiment, especially because they won't break the bank on the guy.  Look, I don't know if the Yankees looking at the guy's a good of bad thing, no one does.  They tend to experiment a lot though, this is clear.  Plus, factor in the fact that a change of scenery can sometimes change a player, although, the Gee groin injury doesn't help matters... neither does the 29 runs in 40 innings.

All I'm saying is... watch. The Yanks will kick the tires on this guy, or, sniff around his hydrant... or something.

 

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

JOE GIRARDI'S IN A CATCH-22

The Yankees are in a bad Catch-22 situation right now, and it has to do with their pitching. Admittedly, there seems to be problems almost everywhere. But the recent injury to the closer Andrew Miller has enticed a lot of critics to come out with fingers pointing. The issue there is the reason for Miller’s strained forearm – fatigue. Is he being overused? Certainly Miller is not going to say yes. That would be a direct shot at his manager. Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman are being somewhat quiet on the issue too. Can you blame them?

I am certainly not going to defend them if they are overusing their best pitchers. It is their jobs to make sure that the players are in the best shape and position to win. Are they overusing them? Joel Sherman of the New York Post sure thinks so (read HERE). Sherman cites a number of games when the closer should not have had to come in. These are games where the Yankees had huge leads and the pitching started giving up runs in bunches. Games where the 1-2 punch of the back of the bullpen – Miller and Dellin Betances – should have been spectators. Instead, Girardi has to bring them in to save the game.

Joel Sherman thinks it’s a trust issue. He doesn’t trust the rest of his pitchers and ends up overusing Miller and Betances. No disrespect to Sherman, but I think we all have trust issues with some of these guys. Would you have trusted a game to David Carpenter? How about Esmil Rogers? Sure he could have rested the stars. But then all of us – reporters and fans alike – would have blasted Girardi for letting games get away while Miller and Betances are sitting out there in the bullpen. This is the part of Girardi’s job that sucks – sometimes you just can’t win. But fixing this is still his job.

For the record, there is a real reason to be concerned about overuse of these guys. If we look at the first 58 games of the Yankees season, Miller has appeared in 26 games, 15 (58%) of those with 1 day of rest or less. Contrast that with the first 58 games of Mariano Rivera’s final season, where he appeared 24 times and 11 (46%) of those with 1 day or less of rest. It may seem small, but when it comes to rest, it matters. Here’s some more food for thought. Miller has faced 103 batters and thrown 428 pitches – 17% more batters and 29% more pitches than Rivera did during the aforementioned span. The story gets worse with Betances compared to Rivera – 21% more games, 82% more times with 1 day’s rest or less, 39% more batters, and 29% more pitches. Maybe it’s because Betances is younger, but you have to be concerned.

The real problem with those two are the ones that come right before them. David Carpenter, Esmil Rogers, and others have not delivered as advertised, and have justified any possible distrust Girardi may have. Guys like Chasen Shreve, Chris Martin, and Justin Wilson need to step up. The Yankees may need to get some avaiulable pitchers, or bring guys up from the farm who can help. Here at BYB, we have talked a lot about how important it is to develop the kids. Now the Yankees may need to accelerate that plan. It will probably be a month before we see Miller again. Leaning even more on Betances could be disastrous. With the American League East still lacking a clear front-runner, the Yankees may have some cushion to try out a few options. No matter how you feel about Joe Girardi’s trust level, the team needs to give him some better options.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row







You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

CLEANING OUR CLOCK!

It's fascinating to me to watch the Yankees, who at one time suggested Alex Rodriguez was the devil, suddenly use his 2000th RBI as a promotional tool and shy away  from the fact that the Orioles once again cleaned the Yankees clock. 

Yup. The O's beat them 2 times in 2 days... amazing.That can't be ignored... I don't care about the milestone! I want Yankee wins!

Alex Rodriguez is breaking records like mad. Tonight was a big one, he passed 2000 RBIs with a 2 run home run.  But even if you asked him these days what was more important, Alex Rodriguez would have said, "Beating the O's."  It just didn't happen and I'm not sure why.  We should be able to do it, but we're not.

CC Sabathia started for the Yanks. He went 5 innings, giving up 8 hits and 4 runs.  Nothing unmanageable.  Then came in Chris Martin who gave up 3 more, and then Sergio Santos... not much better than Esmil Rogers giving up an additional 2.  Not quite sure why we're rolling the dice on Santos.  There must be a reason somewhere.  What's next, Sergio Mitre?

The Yankees 4 runs went like this:

In the first, Mark Teixeria singled knocking in 1.  Then, Brian McCann doubled and Tex scored.

In the 6th, ARod hit his 2 run homer and tied  the game up 4-4.  That would be it for the Yanks. The O's would then turn it on and we'd lose by a large margin.

So why is this happening?  It's 2 in a row in Camden Yards.  Can we turn this terrible losing streak around?  We'll have to see... maybe tomorrow.

Final: Orioles 9 - Yankees 4

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

SOMEONE'S FATE HANGS IN THE BALANCE....

The Yankees will have some big decisions to make....and they won't be easy ones. I often hear Joe Girardi talk about "good problems to have" and I think he would say that the starting rotation is a good problem to have. There are worse problems to have, but in the end someone is going to have to get the boot and be sent to the bullpen. It may not be "fair" either but I guess just like in real life....baseball isn't always fail, is it?

Soon the Yankees will have Ivan Nova back in action. I am looking forward to that and I want to see the guy back in action....but he is a starter, not a reliever. So someone is about to get a demotion and there isn't someone that I can pinpoint anymore. It is going to be hard. There has been a lot of shuffling in the rotation lately.

Obviously, when Masahiro Tanaka came back it wasn't hard to guess that Chris Capuano was going to be sent back to the bullpen because he was a temporary fill in. But now, the rotation is more stable and people are in their niche again. There has been so much talk about the Yankees could send Adam Warren back to the bullpen. He's been a reliever before and he has proven that he can handle that job....but this is where the unfair part comes into play.

Adam Warren earned his spot in the rotation. In spring training he stepped up and he proved that he had the tools to be a good starter. He got off to a rocky start, but his last five starts he turned it around. He has learned how to pitch deeper into the games and his last five starts have all been quality starts. He has been consistent, and that can't be said for everyone in the rotation. How can the Yankees possibly even consider demoting him? Sadly, it would be the more obvious choice. If that is the decision that is made again....that would be the unfair part. What to do?

Sometimes, being versatile is a downfall. It sounds weird but it is true! The Yankees aren't going to want to throw someone like CC Sabathia into a reliever role now just to keep Warren in the rotation. Yes, Warren has earned his spot but he at least has the experience to do it. Same could be said for Nathan Eovaldi because they will want to give him the opportunity to work through the growing pains.

What about the bullpen set up anyway? It is stacked with lefty relievers. We haven't had this many lefties in a long time. Right now the Yankees have newly recalled Chris Martin and Esmil Rogers as the long man for right handed relievers. No offense to Rogers, but I really don't have a lot of faith in him but that is a whole other story. The Yankees would benefit from having another right handed reliever that can also give some length and he's done it before.

Sometimes you have to make decisions based on what is best for the greater good. Will it suck if the Yankees decide to send Warren back to the pen? Yes, but it won't be because he was demoted for poor performance. All isn't always fair in life, love and baseball but either way I know Warren and the Yankees would make it work if that is what they decide. I have faith and you should too.



 
 --Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ  




You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub! 

CRUISING... THEN WALKING THROUGH LANDMINES

It almost fell apart.

It started out easy.  The Yankees were clearly on their way... and soon enough, they scored 8 runs.  But the Angels aren't quitters and so in the 9th, nearly everyone in Yankeeland had a heart attack.  But, we held them down, and most importantly, we got the win.  It really doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you do it.  Sure, it was uncomfortable in that 9th... but a win's a win.  I'll take as many as we can get.

Nathan Eovaldi went 5.1 innings last night.  He gave up 4 hits and only 1 run. After that, the pen did their job like they always do.  Suddenly Esmil Rogers came in.

And look, I'm not a guy that likes to always rip on Major league players. It's takes a long road to get to the Bigs, and stay there and play consistently. I often hear Marci Hensley, Ty's mom in my head who said to me once, "...making it to the majors is more about a bunch of factors such as health, opportunity, and work ethic coming together.  That doesn't happen in one season with kids coming out of high school. It takes some time..." (Read THANKSGIVING WITH THE HENSLEYS.) That being said, I gotta say this... Esmil Rogers is disappointing lately. I don't know why, but he is.  It was he who gave up 5 runs in 0.0 innings.  Yup, you read that right. More on that in a minute...

In the second inning, Stephen Drew hit a 2 run homer.  Then in the 3rd, Mark Teixeira hit a 2 run homer.

In the 5th, Alex Rodriguez singled knocking in Brett Gardner.

In the 6th, Didi sacrificed home a run. Then it was Stephen Drew homering again, this time a solo shot.  After that, Chris Young singled knocking in ARod. And the Yanks were comfortably up 8-1.

Esmil Rogers came in and the rally of the Angels lifetime happened. Dellin Betances came in next, giving up a few more, but in the end, he was able to clean up the mess.  Luckily, Betances was only charged with 1 run, but again... 8-7, the Yankees won it and that's all that matters.

I took a Tums, turned the TV off, put my phone on the charger and went to bed.  None of us needed that... but that's baseball. That's what makes it the greatest game in the world.  You never know what's gonna happen.

Final: Yankees 8 - Angels 7

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

"THE YANKEES SUCKED TODAY"

I didn't get to see much of the game today, but what I did see, I didn't like.  As I was listening to the news in the car this evening, sports came on 1010 WINS and the man said, "The Yankees lost"  and just went into the news cycle. I looked at my wife, "Why don't they just say 'the Yankees sucked today'? It would make it more complete."  Frustration doesn't even begin to tell you how annoyed I am at this entire Oakland series.  We are now tied with the Rays for first because of our lousy play, and while that's not a big deal in May... it just annoys me... like I know it annoys you. What's worse... they didn't even score a run today. You gotta be kidding me.

The Yankees left 7 men on base today.  They were 0-5 with runners in scoring position, and worst of all, they scored ZERO runs.  Jesse Chavez man-handled them... and that's the story here.  There is nothing else.

Sure, let's look at the Yankees pitching, but it doesn't make much of a difference.  Adam Warren went 7 innings, gave up 6 hits and 2 runs. The other run was given up by Esmil Rogers.  The pitching was decent.  3 runs is a hole the Yankees could definitely dig out of... they just didn't.

Bottom line, the Yankees sucked today... hence, the title.

Final: Athletics 3 - Yankees 0

You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

LOSING REACHES A NEW LOW

It is one thing to lose a game. It is another to get blown out. When you discover – and I use that word intentionally – the Yankees field crew does, in fact, have cards with double digits for the classic-style scoreboard, that is proof that you have reached a new low. For me, there is something haunting about seeing double digits next to the opposition’s name. There is something very haunting about this team right now, which needs correction.

CC Sabathia started out strong in the first two innings, striking out five of the first eight batters he faced. Then the fateful, ugly third inning happened. The first five batters reached on a walk and four consecutive singles. He followed a foul out with a wild pitch and another single, and by then Joe Girardi had seen enough. It was 5-0 at that point, with still a glimmer of hope of a comeback win. Esmil Rogers took care of that. He allowed three of the next four batters to reach while two more runs scored, before giving up a 3-run home run to Shin-Soo Choo which brought them to 10-0. Hope was gone, and the next six innings were just a ceremony.

Some noteworthy items – Prince Fielder, who came into the series with five home runs on the season, has now hit three in the last two games. Seven of Fielder’s 30 RBI on the season came in those two games as well. Also noteworthy is the double switch in the top of the ninth, where Garrett Jones got to pitch and Alex Rodriguez played first base. To his credit, Jones was the only pitcher not to surrender a run this game. It was Alex’s second major league appearance at first base. Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, John Ryan Murphy tripled in a run and came in to score on a groundout. Call me old-fashioned, but I like seeing my team fighting to the last batter, even when they are down by 13. Tomorrow is another day.

Final: Rangers 15 - Yankees 4

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row







You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!

WHAT TO DO WITH THE YANKEES ROTATION?

The Yankees rotation has been effective so far in the first six weeks of the season (although the team has been struggling as of late) but there are changes coming. Ivan Nova is closing in on his return to the Bronx from Tommy John surgery, Masahiro Tanaka is rehabbing and should return soon and Chris Capuano just returned. With only five (or perhaps six occasionally) spots to fill, what do the Yankees do with their starting rotation?

When Tanaka went down, Chase Whitley was thrown into the mix and pitched well but has underwent Tommy John surgery. That really sucks. All of us here at the BYB family are wishing Whitley a speedy recovery. That injury essentially opened up a spot for Chris Capuano to jump in though. And jump in he did... for three whole innings while allowing four runs. Yikes.

Ivan Nova is progressing and should return sometime next month or so, the same with Tanaka. So that leaves CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, Adam Warren, Chris Capuano, Ivan Nova and Masahiro Tanaka vying for spots in the rotation. So how does this play out? Who is in and who is out?

Let's start with the guarantees, assuming there are no other injuries in the near future. Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka are certain to be in the rotation. I'd bet the bank on that. CC Sabathia would probably be next on the list of a guaranteed rotation spot. His history, salary and overall ability to eat innings should solidify that. Ivan Nova is returning and has had some productive years for the Yankees, and at one point was probably their best starter. He will be in the rotation once he returns. He's earned it.

So who is the fifth starter? The top candidate is Nathan Eovaldi who is sporting a 4.73 ERA over 45.2 innings. He's young and has a ton of upside. He has been decent with a lot of room to improve, but the Yankees didn't trade for him to be a relief pitcher. As hard as he throws though, perhaps he could be? I doubt it out of the gate, but you never know. Adam Warren has a 4.26 ERA over eight starts and has not been bad, but he could be a very good candidate to return to the bullpen and take some innings from David Carpenter. Carpenter has struggled and our skipper here at BYB, Mr. Casey, has spoken up about that! Warren could possibly be moved to the minors as well and stay in the rotation down there to keep him stretched out.

So it likely leaves Capuano and Warren as the odd men out of starting rotation jobs. Eovaldi could be transitioned to a reliever, with Warren staying in the rotation, but I doubt they give up on him as a starter after just six or seven weeks. Although I respect Capuano, he is just not deserving at this point. He is a long reliever and spot start option or maybe even just released.

Warren earned his keep in the bullpen and although he is a respectable fifth starter, he could fill a void that the bullpen has. Really it's the bullpens only void! But that does make a bit of a cluster in the pen. Now as it rolls downhill, what happens to the bullpen? Justin Wilson has underperformed and with Chasen Shreve pitching well (2.30 ERA over 15.2 innings), he could be an odd man out. Esmil Rogers has also pitched well over 13 appearances and is sporting a solid 3.12 ERA, but could be expendable if need be. Chris Martin has also performed well over 15 innings and is averaging more than a strikeout per inning and has a 3.55 ERA, but may be another guy that could be moved somehow or another. I don't really want to see any of these guys go, however I would like to see Wilson and Carpenter pitch better though!!

So come the time when Tanaka and Nova return, Joe Girardi is going to have to make some tough decisions. It's better these good problems, in theory, than not having enough pitching! It is no fun when the team overall is succeeding (until the last week) and some pretty drastic changes are going to have to be made though. So what do the our BYB followers and the Yankees Universe think? Let us know @BleednYankeeBlu or me personally at @DManLucia. This could be interesting and fun to debate!!


 
Dan Lucia
BYB Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia

 


You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!