To continue today's pitching theme, I bring up another one of the Yankees second half issues, their overworked bullpen.
The Yankees bullpen has thrown more innings than just three other AL teams; the A's, the Orioles, and the Indians. If you haven't looked at the standings lately, those are the three last place teams in the AL, and each are more than 10 games under .500. The Yanks should consider themselves pretty lucky that they've gotten so little out of their starters and are still 51-37. Thank you offense.
But things can't continue this way, as the season wears on the Yanks are going to need to get more innings out of their starters if they plan on making it into October.
The blame for this falls on the shoulders of the starters, but mainly Joba Chamberlain, Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes (when he was starting) and to a lesser degree Andy Pettitte.
We all know Wang's issues earlier in the year that led to an overworked pen in April. Now as he waits on the DL to get back he must figured out how to get back to his 2006-2008 form. Until then, hopefully Sergio Mitre or whomever else they put in that fifth slot can give them some quality innings.
Joba has forgotten how to throw strikes and he consistently wastes too many pitches. This has led to him lasting more than six innings just twice all year and in five starts couldn't even make it into the fifth. Joba's inconsistency has become a major issue for this team, and it seems like every fifth day the Yanks need at least four innings out of their pen. Not really a championship formula.
Hughes is now in the pen so he can't help fix this problem, but as a starter he lasted longer than five innings just twice in his seven starts.
Pettitte has been fine overall as far as innings go, he's second on the team with 107.2, but he's had a lot of trouble at home all year and it seems that every time he does leave a game he hands the pen a jam. So while he may give the team innings, he's been ineffective at home and put the pen in some tough situations.
As for CC and Burnett, they have done their job for the most part. CC has thrown 128.1 innings, and Burnett has added 107.1 of his own, but unlike Pettitte, Burnett has had a very good first half after some late-April and May struggles.
With Alfredo Aceves, Phil Coke, Hughes, a healthy Brian Bruney, and Mariano, the Yankees bullpen has the ability to become a major weapon for this team. We've seen glimpses of it as the first half has progressed. But that won't happen if the starters continue to walk off the mound in the fourth, fifth, or sixth innings.
There isn't any rocket science behind the method of fixing this problem, they just need to go out and pitch better. I know it's much easier said than done, but if the Yankees want to be playing in October, it's something that's going to have to happen.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
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19 Comments:
Its to unbalanced. Sabathia and Burnett are getting overworked while Joba, Wang, and Hughes don't even approach what they need to be doing. Wang ineffectiveness is the biggest problem. They were counting on 200 innings from him.
I can't really complain about Pettitte in this area. He's on pace for over 210 innings. You can't ask for more than that from him.
There's a rumor on ESPN of Joba going back to the pen. How this would be a good time for that is beyond me since we don't even have a fifth starter, much less a fourth one. I guess they would switch Hughes and Joba, who knows.
Saint,
I saw that, but all it is is a quote from Gossage, I wonder if there is anything more to it than that.
They can use Phil and Joba in the bullpen if Mitre is ready to step in and pitch effectively like guys in the past, such as shawn chacon.
this article should have been named: Joba, stop overworking the bullpen.
Bur seriously, Pettitte most nights will give you 6, CC/AJ are solid; and I don't think they are being over worked.
They really need to address the 4th starter (Joba's a 5).
Hughes' spot for 09 is the pen, will a glorious return to the rotation in 2010, hopefully.
I'd like to see them address the 4th starter spot via trade. Not Necessarily someone 'bigtime', but a solid guy, who can usually go 6.
I'm still all for giving up Joba + montero or jackson (not both) and another solid prospect for Hallady.
In my eyes, that would give you easily the best rotation in baseball with CC/Doc/AJ/Andy/5th.
Short series you go CC/Doc/AJ, with Andy a possible 4th, and Hughes/Coke/Ace/Mo to get at most 9 outs?
You tell me who beats that?
Now, I know you'll say "you're giving up prospects", and yes, it may be a hefty price, but does anyone really think that any one of those players will come as close to what Hallady will give us for the next 4 or 5 1/2 years?
The answer simply is "no". I don't feel like Joba will ever win a cy young, and while I like Montero and Jackson, it's the price to pay for a CY Young every season type pitcher.
"this article should have been named: Joba, stop overworking the bullpen."
LOL
"Short series you go CC/Doc/AJ, with Andy a possible 4th, and Hughes/Coke/Ace/Mo to get at most 9 outs?
"You tell me who beats that?"
Honestly, nobody. I don't know if they should trade so much for Halladay, but they would be pretty damn near unbeatable.
The thing that really bothers me about Halladay is that the Jays will not give any team a window to negotiate, so you're trading for a guy for a year and a half if he doesn't want to stay here. They can't afford to give up that much for that.
For Halladay I give up one of Hughes/Joba and A-Jax. That's it
"if he doesn't want to stay here"
come on, he would be part of the best rotation in baseball hands down and would have a shot at winning the world series every year..name one player not interested in doing that
And if they don't win and the media kills him he could want to get out of town. You never know.
instead of giving up Joba or Phil in a package, what about this for Halladay: Zach Macallister, Ivan Aldo Nova, Betances, Ajax or Montero. They get quantity and quality.
throw in Alfredo Aceves above. so, Alfredo, Zach MacAllister, either Ajax of Montero, maybe another player, for Halladay. We keep phil and joba
Hughes as a starter was giving the same thing Joba is. There is no need to switch the two.
Also no yankee bullpen pitcher is being overworked. Remember the yanks got rid of people like Edwar and Jose Veras.
One more thing a lot of the bullpen innings were because of Wang and also Joba left a game in the first inning because he got hit with the ball.
Even when they were winning, they use their pen too often. The pen should not be used for four innings a night.
NYPost reports that Angels are in the lead for Halladay. Maybe they can beat boston in a series for once if they get him.
The Yankees have the pieces to win. They don't need to mortgage the future for Halladay and the $ he will command. He'll probably want something (think $) to waive his no trade clause.
The bullpen being used a lot his because of Wang. The yanks built there pen the right way though. They have a lot of guys who are ex starters and can give you multiple innings.
As far as Joba he is the 5th starter he wasn't going give you many innings. He is projected to pitch 164 innings this year that is exactly where is innings limit is. So the yanks couldn't expect a ton of innings from Chamberlain if they have him on a 150-160 innings limit.
Joba had a couple of rough starts but he will turn it around and have a good second half. His last start he pounded the strikezone he made that one bad pitch to Morales that changed the game. He was pitching fine before that pitch.
If Mitre can give you 6-7 innings a start the yanks will be fine because they can finally stabalize Wang spot in the rotation.
If the pen had joba AND Phil AND Aceves! whoaa that would be awesome - of course contingent upon Mitre being a solid #5 starter.
Anonymous said...
If the pen had joba AND Phil AND Aceves! whoaa that would be awesome - of course contingent upon Mitre being a solid #5 starter.
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Thats why I think the yankees are built for the postseason. Because it is very possible that Joba, Hughes and Ace will be in the bullpen during the playoffs. I know a lot of that depends on Wang though.
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