Yanks will go with Pettitte
December 14, 2008, 4:26 amFrom Newsday (O’Brien and Davidoff):
The Yankees, who had hoped to sign Pettitte or Sheets to round out their starting rotation, have decided that Pettitte would be a better fit. Sheets did make 31 starts in 2008, going 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA for the Brewers, but injuries kept him from topping 160 innings between 2005 and 2007.
The inevitable rotation will be: CC, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte, Joba. Talk about rehauling a staff. Despite criticisms from an assortment of parties (including myself), the Yankees should be more than pleased with that group, as it is a major upgrade when one considers last year’s starting 5. Every pitcher is capable of winning 15 games and dominating on a given day (Pettitte’s probably the weakest, in terms of “stuff,” but he’s obviously a formidable #4).
(Props to RAB.)
I would like to see one more starter and Joba in pen as setup man. He can impact so many more games a la Mo in 1996.
Again, how is 70 innings of Joba worth more than upto 150 innings of Joba?
The Yankees already had the best pen in baseball last year and have even more help on the way (Melacon, Coke for a full season, Marte for a full season, Farnsworth gone for good).
Joba has ace potential, has been a starter his entire life until they brought him up as a reliever in 07 due to innings concerns, his velocity stays up deep into games, and he has 4 pitches. Only reason to move him to the pen is if he proves to not be able to stay healthy as a starter. No other logically reason.
Great. Now, just give Marky T 9yrs/$180mil and call it an off-season…
^Ha, I wish.
I think the offense will be okay without Tex. Sure, he’d help a lot, but the Yankees have spent plenty of money. So long as he stays out of Boston, I’m fine with not signing him.
Hopefully the presence of four potential 200+ innings guys ahead of him will allow the Yankees to skip Joba every now and then and let him get his innings on their terms. Also serves to get Hughes some regular innings (injury free, knock on wood) at AAA to refine the cutter and his command.
Mo was a starter in minors also. Guess we wasted him….
Then Mo had Tommy John surgery, then tried to be a starter and failed because he only had one or two pitches, so he started working on that cutter, they moved him to the pen and the rest is history.
If you are comparing Mo’s path to the majors to Joba’s you are comparing apples to oranges. Mo never had enough pitches to be a starter, and actually failed as a starter. With Joba, he will NEVER fail as a starter, the only thing standing in the way of him being an Ace #1 top of the rotation pitcher is the possibility of injuries.
Would you convert Johan Santana to be a setup man for 2 years, then a closer after that? Because Joba has that type of ability and potential.
Of every pitching on the Yankees staff, Joba has the best pure stuff. Which is saying something since they now have CC and Burnett.