Joba more valuable in a six-man rotation

Joba Chamberlain jogged to the mound Friday, and suddenly, if you looked toward Legends Field's fourth-floor windows, a crew cut emerged.

[dan]

Joba is more important in the pen. The yankees have no pen besides rivera . You cant trust farnsworth at all. Having joba for the 8th and rivera in the 9th is a awesome 1-2 punch. Why would you want to break that up.

[joe]

I agree that if Joba is capable of starting, he should, because starters pitch way more innings. One scary thing, however, is the rest of the Yankee looks pretty bad. Hawkins, Farnsworth? Yikes. I'm hoping they can bring some other minor league prospects up to fill the bullpen.

[bob mac]

I am all for Joba starting but I don't see how he stays under the innings limit if he starts the season starting.I think he should set up until the All star break and by then there is a good chance one or two of the young guys step up.I could see Sanchez,Ohlendorf and/or Melancon becoming major factors in the pen by year end.Horne could be a spot starter.

[Jim]

I agree with Ken. Joba should start. You don't move a young pitcher (really any pitcher) from the bullpen to the starting rotation during a season. A six man rotation works (maybe not early in the year with all the off days) because it will hold all of their innings down, which might be a good thing for Pettitte and Mussina, too, if he starts.

[dan]

If pettitte cant win16 games for the yankees this year then they will have major problems. How can you see sanchez who just had major surgery last year be a big factor this year. Joba is the real deal it is very important to have a very good bullpen now adays. Starters only go 5 or 6 innings now. You need a guy to get the ball to rivera and thats joba. This shouldn't even been a discussion. Joba is so much more valuable in the pen then as a starter.Joba could be very well the future closer of the yankees when rivera retires.

[Joel]

Geeeeezzzzz, You NY sports writers really need to follow what goes on in the rest of the league. The Yankees are not reinventing the wheel here. Teams break starting pitchers in by starting them in the bullpen before moving them into the rotation mid season all the time...

2007 Chad Billingsley
2007 Zack Greinke
2006 Francisco Liriano
2002 & 2003 Johan Santana

[Paul]

bob mac wrote:

I am all for Joba starting but I don't see how he stays under the innings limit if he starts the season starting.I think he should set up until the All star break and by then there is a good chance one or two of the young guys step up.I could see Sanchez,Ohlendorf and/or Melancon becoming major factors in the pen by year end.Horne could be a spot starter.

Good post...

[bill]

Major League teams NEVER use a six-man rotation. Not sure why, but it will probably not happen. I'd rather just take Mussina out of the rotation and send him to the bullpen. He's going downhill, the others are going uphill (we hope).

[ny fan]

I think you have to give joba a chance as a starter right away unless he is going to get stuck as a relever for ever. there is nothing more important to a team than an ace. you have to give him a chance.i think its a big mistake having a guy with stuff like that in the bull pen.