The bullpen for the Yankees has the potential to be either a big Achilles’ heel, or a huge advantage for the team. the potential for excellence is there, as is the possibility of trouble. Let’s look at the main players:
The Closer
Mariano Rivera-
The gold-standard for relief pitchers is entering his 14th season as a member of the Yankees, after signing a new contract in the off-season. There was no chance the Yankees were going to let him get away, and he indicated that he had no desire to leave.
The April/May stretch last year was the worst for Rivera, as he lost twice, had only 1 save, and a 10.57 ERA. He allowed only 6 runs in the following 3 months, and only 25 for the entire year. Still, his 3.15 ERA was his highest ever as a relief pitcher, as he had to work to overcome a rough start.
I don’t feel I need to do much in the way of a preview for a man whom I believe is the greatest closer of all-time.
2008 Prediction- 3-2, 40 Saves, 1.98 ERA
For the rest of the bullpen, I am not going to include stats predictions, as the middle/long relief is not as stat based in my opinion, and I am not a great predictor of ERA.
The 8th Inning Phenom-
Joba Chamberlain- Much as a young Rivera was called upon to provide a bridge to John Wetteland in 1996, Joba is now providing an 8th inning hammer before Mo in the 9th. Chamberlain rocketed onto the Yankee scene last year with a dominating performance out of the bullpen. He allowed 1 earned run in 24 innings pitched, with 12 hits, 6 walks, and 34 strikeouts.
With a fastball that hits triple digits on the radar gun, mixed in with filthy breaking stuff, Joba wrested the mantle of “most promising young pitcher” away from Phil Hughes. He has been projected as a front-of-the-rotation starter down the road, but I can’t help but see him following Rivera’s career path.
There has been a debate over having a power ace at the top of the rotation (ala Sabathia or Beckett), which Wang is not, vs having the game essentially be over after the 7th inning. I find myself in the latter camp, especially with CC coming on the free-agent market after this season. With a top 4 of Wang, CC, Hughes, Kennedy, would it be better to have Joba to make it a huge 5, or to groom the eventual untouchable replacement for Mariano?
The Veteran Question Marks
LaTroy Hawkins and Kyle Farnsworth- That queasy feeling that Yankee fans get during the 6-8th inning is most likely a product of the entrance of one of the two pitchers to the left. Farnsworth has been with the team the past two years, and had a tumultuous existence, including an episode where he bizarrely burned all of his equipment. His 4.80 ERA in 2007 is nothing to be pleased with, and pitching the 8th inning did not seem to suit him. While he does have a power arm, Farnsworth has been criticized for throwing the ball straight for the sake of power. His earned runs and walks were nearly identical the last two years, but his strikeouts dropped precipitously.
LaTroy Hawkins spent his first 8 years as a Twin, then bounced around the Cubs, Giants, Orioles and Rockies before landing with the Yankees this offseason. In a horrible decision, Hawkins decided to pick up the #21 jersey that Morgan Ensberg wore during the Spring. He claims that he wants to honor Roberto Clemente, but as any Yankee fan will tell you, #21 is Paul O’Neill’s number. (interestingly, Hawkins ERA stands at a robust 21.00 after a shaky start to the season. coincidence?) He saw limited action in Colorado last year, doing most of his pitching in the 7th and 8th innings. Like Rivera, he had a rough April/May, and needed to be slightly above average to make his overall numbers average for the season. One concern is the frequently touted NL-AL transition. However, as a late-inning guy, Hawkins was likely to see the pitcher pinch-hit for more frequently than a starter would.
Both Hawkins and Farnsworth have struggled a bit early this year, though it is very early. What they have also done is open the door for:
The Young Unknowns
(From Left) Brian Bruney, Billy Traber, Ross Ohlendorf
Bruney embraced a workout plan this offseason, and looks lighter than ever. His mechanics are strong this year, and he has thus far only resembled the “Good Bruney” whom we saw in flashes last season. in 2006 he was lights-out in 20+ innings, in 2007 he got more hittable in his 50+ innings. Outlook is good so far. I hope the weight loss is a sign of dedication.
Ohlendorf was a throw-in on the Big Unit deal, and has not had much of a chance to prove himself. However, in their small samples of work so far, I’ll take Ohlendorf over the Hawkins/Farnsworth duo.
Billy Traber is the lefty experiment in 2008, joining the ranks of Mike Meyers, Mke Stanton, Sean Henn…etc. He is needed in a bullpen bereft of other lefties. Lefty batters hit .176 against Traber last year, a trend the Yankees hope to continue.
We will see how the Yankee bullpen shakes out this year, and when the joba move is made. For now, the 6th and 7th look better in the hands of the kids than the vets, and the 8th and 9th have been game over.
