Written by Greg Fertel
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16 March 2008
So, back as camp was starting,
I tried to sort out the Yankee's bullpen situation. With spring training half over, let's take a look at who's winning.
The Locks
Mariano Rivera - On his own throwing program. We don't have a lot of definitive information coming out of him this spring, but he has yet to walk a batter in 4 innings. If Rivera's ridiculously good control (1.51 BB/9 last year) persists, he'll be a valuable closer.
Kyle Farnsworth - I honestly haven't seen a lot of Kyle's appearances, so I don't know how his velocity is doing, but he's been very reliable so far. Joe Torre's problems with Farnsworth were far from inconspicuous, so maybe we'll see a different [contract] year out of Krazy Kyle.
LaTroy Hawkins - Despite a lot of baserunners allowed, none have been allowed to circle the bases this spring. This may be a harbinger of things to come - Hawkins recast himself as a ground ball pitcher last season.
Mike Mussina /Ian Kennedy / Joba Chamberlain / Phil Hughes - Someone is going to the bullpen. Chamberlain and possibly even Hughes will need to spend a lot of time in the bullpen this season. I say: Put Joba in there until the other relievers sort themselves out a little bit.
Falling, Fast
Heath Phillips - Phillips is dipping, but he didn't really start very high in the first place. It'll be interesting to see if they immediately send him to the relief corpse at Triple-A.
Darrell Rasner - Considered a legitimate 5th starter possibility at the beginning of last year, Rasner effectively lost his entire season to injury. His 10.13 ERA in Spring Training has pushed him out of contention for the Yankee long man spot. He probably needs time to readjust. It's worth remembering that Rasner has a career 4.15 ERA in the majors.
Jeff Karstens - He's been better than Rasner, but still got hit hard his last time up. I really feel that the perceived need of the Yankees for a long man could result in a fairly obsolete player like Karstens being carried over a more useful one. Still, the Yankee front office has always been a bigger fan of his than us on the outside, so he might make it on the roster.
Jose Veras - Predictably, he's been very ordinary this spring. Veras is the kind of guy who would have been (and should have been) an option for the bullpen two years ago, but there are stronger options available to the Yankees this spring. He spent all of last season injured, so he'll have to prove his worth again.
Almost Locked In
Scott Patterson - He's been by far the best relief pitcher in the Yankee camp thus far. Joe Girardi has been bringing him in with men on base, and he's mopped up the mess without a hitch. It's worth repeating his Double-A numbers last year again: 1.09 ERA, 0.19 HR/9, 1.82 BB/9, 11.00 K/9. If there's one thing you can depend on Patterson to do, it's throw strikes with men on base. I'm calling it: Patterson is the MLB feel-good story of the year.
Brian Bruney - Bruney reported to camp in better shape than past years. With a major league contract, improved control, and more velocity than we've seen from him in the past, I may have to bite my lip on Bruney. I still don't expect to see him excel in the major leagues, but I don't think that the Yankees will be willing to release him right away. We'll see if he's really turned the corner.
Billy Traber - He was just added to the 40-man roster. Traber doesn't have the stuff to get right-handed hitters out: he splits out to .329/.382/.512 against them while .210/.303/.310 against left-handed hitters. We're talking about a guy with career rates of 10.86 H/9 and 1.10 HR/9 in the majors. If Girardi is going to carry him, it has to be strictly as a lefty specialist and mop-up guy.
Holding Pattern
Dan Giese - He's getting a lot of looks in the spring, but Giese seems destined for Triple-A, with better alternatives present.
Chris Britton - He's been strong this spring, but he doesn't seem to be Girardi's priority. He has only fought his way into 4 official spring training innings. Britton's on the 40-man, but he has an option year left. Count on the Yankees to wait for an injury before calling on their solid Plan-B.
Ross Ohlendorf - Ohlendorf hasn't allowed a lot of runs, but has been fairly hittable. He's still adjusting to the bullpen, and has been this hit this hard since the move. His fastball should find success eventually, but the time may not necessarily be now.
Edwar Ramirez - In four innings, he has a 6/1 K/BB ratio. That's a good sign for Edwar's future. He's got a lot of competition, but it's hard to argue with the most prolific strikeout rate in professional baseball. I'd give him a chance right away if I were Girardi, but Scott Patterson seems to have taken his spot right now. If Bruney loses control, Edwar might fill his niche.
Jon Albaladejo - Alba has been throwing harder than expected. Despite a rough start, he's got 8 strikeouts in 6 innings against two walks. With two option years left, he's a good bet to be held in reserve at Triple-A. Albaladejo has just 38 innings above Double-A, so that may not be a bad idea.
