From
Kat O'Brien:
"We've got four guys we pretty much feel that we can count on [if healthy]," general manager Brian Cashman said in a phone interview.
Cashman left Chamberlain off that list; he is too young to have a long track record.
"I do think that Sabathia's one of the best pitchers in the game - he's proved that over the last few years," Cashman said. "A.J. Burnett led the American League in strikeouts [231]. We know what Wang can do, we know what Andy Pettitte can do, so there's a little bit of certainty if they're healthy.
"Last year, we had two starters that we knew what we were getting, Wang and Pettitte. We weren't sure about [Mike] Mussina and we hoped for more from the two kids [Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy]."
Cashman also compared CC to Mets ace Johan Santana:
"I think they're very comparable," Cashman said. "They were going head-to-head in the American League. They're two of the upper-echelon players in the game, period. That's why they got the contracts that they got."
Regarding Burnett's injury problems Cashman said,
“That’s a fact. He’s a high-risk, high-reward guy. He’s a guy that has had some injuries, but when he is healthy, he’s as tough as they come. It’s a fair thing [to question his signing], but we didn’t blow the market away. The Atlanta Braves were right there with us.”
Cashman wasn't the only one who wanted to bring Burnett to the Bronx, many Yankee players felt the same way.
"This is a guy that our players wanted desperately," Cashman said of Burnett. "They felt that this guy was a difference-maker. Guys kept banging on my door [after] we had Sabathia in the fold - Alex [Rodriguez], Johnny [Damon]. It was a full-court press. You wouldn't believe the calls I got over him. It was very unusual."
I really like the staff that Cash put together. CC, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte and Joba is as good as it comes. There are the obvious health concerns, but if this staff stays healthy, they can, and probably should be the best in baseball.
9 Comments:
I hope Joba gets a job in the starting rotation. A lot of people like him in the bullpen but if he stays healthy this year he can be a 15+ winner this year.
As of now he's a starter, he's preparing to be a starter (had a bullpen session on Friday), so he's going to be a starter.
I just can't wait to see Joba in a full season. Correct me if I'm wrong, Greg, but considering that he has as good stuff as just about anybody, if he can stay healthy (and i guess use his secondary pitches well), why couldn't he win some Cy Youngs?
His stuff is good enough to be one of the best pitchers in the game, so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him win a few Cy Youngs.
Even with CC and AJ, I think he has the best stuff overall on the staff.
I agree anon.
Hopefully Joba won't take roids unlike some people.
I think AJ is the key. I kind of expect the other starters to pitch in line with their prior performances, but AJ's career has had a lot of variability. If he can pitch at a high level, I think this could be a really big season, even with the question marks in CF and at C.
Rich,
I think they can still win with an average year from Burnett, but if he does pitch well, that would give them a chance to run away with things.
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