Written by Greg Fertel
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18 June 2008
In some ways, Wang couldn't be injured at a worse time, and in some ways he couldn't be injured at a better time. He couldn't be injured at a worse time because the Yankee pitching depth situation offers no immediate replacements for him: Kei Igawa is not pitching well, Alan Horne is recovering from his injury, Jeff Marquez is getting better, but still isn't on track, and Daniel McCutchen is still adjusting to a new level. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are still a distance away, and Jeff Karstens has forgotten how to pitch.
The injury in some ways couldn't come at a better time for the Yankees because the offense is rolling along: Arod, Giambi and Posada are mashing the ball, and everybody is healthy. The Yankee lineup, inept with Wilson Betemit, Morgan Ensberg, and (sadly) Shelley Duncan playing every day, is doing exactly what we need it to do. Even with Cano, Jeter, and Melky mired in protracted slumps, we're getting above-average to great production out of the four corners plus DH and catcher. The Yankees probably would be smart to try making Gardner and Melky compete/platoon against each other, or giving Derek Jeter an extra day or two off, but at this point its not necessary.
I've become one of Joe Girardi's biggest fans, and his choice to start Dan Giese on Saturday vindicates my opinion. The Yankees need to buy time for McCutchen, Kennedy, and Horne to get back, with the eventual goal of slotting Phil Hughes in to the starting rotation. Dan Giese could give the Yankees a start or two without hurting the team too much, and that's all they need. Why not McCutchen right away? Although he's been solid at Triple-A, his decreasing strikeout totals are worrying. Strikeout rates are good leading indicators for promotions, and you'd like to see McCutchen sit around 7 per 9 at Scranton. Right now he's sitting at 5.85. Combine that with the Yankee guideline of "40 innings before a promotion", and McCutchen isn't likely ready yet. I love the control that he is showing off this season, and I think that his destiny is not pre-determined to be in the bullpen.
What about Alan Horne? I'd wager that we'll see him sometime this season. Considering his injury history, the Yankees would be smart to be a little cautious with him. Assuming Dan Giese doesn't get blown away, I think that the Yankees will try and give him at least 3 more starts before considering a call-up. Jeff Karstens? Chien-Ming Wang's coming placement on the 60-day DL probably saves him from release, but the pressure has to be on him. I have trouble seeing him surviving the season without a quick turnaround. Steve White is in a similar position.
I think that a trade is premature. If Darrell Rasner all of the sudden starts to stink up the joint, then we may need to think about a trade. And even then, a stopgap like Paul Byrd is the kind of player that we should be looking for. Rentals like C.C. Sabathia almost always end up burning the team that buys them - the cost does not equal the reward. Does this mean we're hurting our chances of winning now and making the playoffs? Yes it does. I'm fine with that. At this point, we're trailing Tampa and Oakland for the wild card spot - two teams reasonably likely to regress during the second half of the season. Oakland's pitching staff is overperforming substantially, and Tampa is being propped up by a variable bullpen. Now is not the time to freak out.
