Chamberlain In Bullpen, For Good?

by Eli Greenspan on Apr 26, 2008 12:24 PM EDT

It looks as if Joba Chamberlain will be in the bullpen for the foreseeable future. Although several Front Office executives would prefer to see Joba Chamberlain in the rotation, with Brian Bruney out for the season they will keep Chamberlain as a late inning reliever. According to Buster Olney, the Yankees were looking at in-house candidates to replace Chamberlain as a late inning reliever so they could move him into the rotation. I think it is a great idea for the Yankees, but Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are notoriously slow starters. The Yankees have several late inning relievers, and if they are determined to move Chamberlain, I would give Jon Abaladejo a shot. He is 6-5, he has got a hard fastball, and he is off to a good start. Other than that, they could alternate between LaTroy Hawkins, Edwar Ramirez, and Kyle Farnsworth.

It's too bad that Bruney had to go down. He was off to another good start, but he is 26, so he has time to come back and help the Yankees in the future.

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How are Hughed and Kennedy notorious slow starters? Kennedy wasn't up until September last year and Hughes started last year with an almost no-hitter in his second start!

by Anonymous on Apr 26, 2008 12:51 PM EDT reply actions

http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/pl/461/461833logp06.html

throughout their careers, they get off to slow starts. minor league numbers loook good, but it takes them a couple starts to find their groove.

by Eli on Apr 26, 2008 1:13 PM EDT reply actions

the Yankees are a better team with Joba as a reliever than a starter, and if someone says otherwise (Hank Steinbrenner) then they don't know their team.

by KevinGillman on Apr 26, 2008 2:28 PM EDT reply actions

This is a Wettland/Rivera situation all over again. You have a successor to Rivera in Joba. He is a guy with A+ stuff and in short burst he is becoming a dominate reliever. Take a page from the sox book and dont change what is not broke.

by Bucky, NY on Apr 26, 2008 3:52 PM EDT reply actions

A starter is more valuable then a RP but I won’t get into that

There is a kid in AA Trenton that could very well be the next Joba Dave Robertson he has been destroying AA hitters and he has a 93 MPH FB with movement and a nasty breaking pitch also Edwar Ramirez is pitching great in AAA so in Chris Britton (who is in the majors right now) and J.B. Cox who is coming off of TJ surgery is already in AA so the Yankees have choices

by ME on Apr 26, 2008 8:58 PM EDT reply actions