They hopefully change their minds again and stick Joba in the pen . You have possibly 4 frontline starters if Hughes matures with the oldest AJ at 32 . By matures with Hughes just be a solid #3 type SP not even talking about the expectations they have . If Pettitte hangs around as the 5th thats great well in reality 4th starter but you get my point . Pettitte was screwed because of the offseason shit IMO. If he redicates himself to working out he will be fine IMHO...
i'd prefer joba to remain a SP...even though i was opposite of that last year.
won't be the best rotation in mlb...but it will be a very, very good one.
cupcake, wang, aj, joba, either sheets or pettitte (whoever signs for less)...and hughes as a 6th option.
you need 6 SPs. cupcake's innings need to remain below 215, so he'll be effective in the postseason. wang's off the injury. aj isn't the most reliable. joba's on an innings watch still. and either sheets or pettitte will hit the DL at some point.
hughes will be fine, and a great 6th SP. the only reason he sucked last year is the cracked rib he tried to throw thru. but just as clay bucholz will be fine in boston, hughes will be fine in ny. jsut have to give these young phenoms time and patience...as both of them will one day be stars for their respective teams.
and kennedy can be #7...or trade bait...before he loses his value like adenhart, bailey, etc. all 3 of those names are great in AAA, but lousy in the bigs so far.
anyways, now for why i'd leave joba as a SP...
they
still have damasco marte, from the left. he's a great option to set up for Mo, as he's got closing experience. then there's the youth...the now...
the yanks have a top 5 farm system, top to bottom, according to most sources/experts. that's also why they had by far the most lower level prospects taken in the rule 5 draft this year. anyways, they are extremely loaded with young power arms...some ready to jump into the mix.
mark melancon. the all time saves leader at arizona. he fell to the yanks in the draft a couple years back cuz he needed surgery. he's a year off that, and had an incredible rise thru the ranks last season. he's ready
now to be Mo's apprentice. fondy posted a blurb on him elsewhere...but he's the perfect setup guy from the right, until Mo retires...then he'll be the nyy closer.
jb cox. the all time saves leader at texas. he also fell to the yanks in a previous draft. not a KO pitcher...but gets incredible movement, and had a ridiculous whip. no one gets good wood on him, all the way thru the minors.
humberto sanchez. was the next zumaya for the tigers, before they traded him for sheff. needed arm surgery too. now he's back, and just about ready. big power arm...and will show he was worth that trade.
i'm leaving out some others, who are a bit further off...but all 3 of these guys are ready for the bigs. jb cox might not make it until later in the year...but i'd be surprised to not see melancon all season, and sanchez for the majority of it.
bottom line...the yanks and cashman have been brilliant in rebuilding the farm system...and most (non-expert) pundits haven't caught on to reality yet.
quite a few excellent arms have fallen to the yanks in various drafts...they take a chance...wait thru the recoveries from the various surgeries...then have a bunch of gems as prospects. they all won't pan out...but most of them will.
so with all that said, i'm saying that Joba (imho) can be best used as a SP now...with at the very least, Marte and Melancon to set up for Mo. (and not even mentioning the few others from last year's pen...but they're not 8th inning guys like marte and melancon.)
but i also saved the
very best for last...though i sincerely hope he'll be a starter, and not a RP...though if he sees the bigs (briefly) this year, it'll be in relief...as he's recovering from surgery as well.
Andrew Brackman. jsut turned 23...6'7" and 270 pounds.
huge mo-fo, who fell to the yanks in the '07 draft cuz he needed surgery. tore it up at NCST...and just tore up the hawaiian fall league, in his first action post recovery.
Brackman IS the next Joba, and more. If he doesn't see some relief work for the yanks this year...he'll definitely be in the bigs by '10. He's that good...that much of a stud. Randy Johnson height, but not a skinny fuck.
Power fastball, between 94-97 consistently...but touches 99...a knuckle curve...and a changeup...are his pitches. And that knuckle curve is graded as an 80 by scouts, on the 20-80 scale.
Anyhow, more later on Brackman. They'll take it easy on his arm this year, limiting his innings. But it won't be long for this one. He's as much of a blue chip pitching prospect as is possible, once fully recovered from that tommy john.
is it time for pitchers and catcher to report yet? they may not be ready...but i am, dammit.
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