Offseason Pitching

[DBurchHero]

I know this won't popular here, gut given my lack of support for the guy, if JV doesn't pitch lights out in the spring and early season, my fuse will blow and I'll vote for sticking him in the BP or minors and put both Phil and Joba in the rotation.

For 11.5 mill, with a team run by Brian Cashman and HAL Steinbrenner... I dont see us dropping him out of the rotation. I dont see how we could. It would probably be the best thing, granted, but still... How many times does it happen? I just dont see it, sorry. I think Cash and CO will be patient with vazquez, and AT WORST trade him in July.

[Rampage2010]

Or he could do really well and we won't need to trade him or take him out.

[DBurchHero]

Which is of course what we all want, and hope for...

[jxnhole]

You may be right. The MLB rules confuse the hell out of me no matter how many times I hear them.

I don't know for sure either, they confuse me just as much

[beast montero]

I just have this eerie feeling that AJ is gonna get injured in spring training. That would this problem, even though it would be unfortunate, it could help Hughes development.

[DBurchHero]

What makes you think that? His 2 plus straight seasons with zero arm fatigue or injuries?

Not that it couldnt happen.. but eventually we have to give the guy the benefit of the doubt and a good clean bill of health.. until otherwise stated

[joba09]

Stop jinxing AJ, man. He will be fine.

[EAGLES3658]

Everyone is just as likey to get injured in my eyes.

[Rampage2010]

NEW YORK -- Dave Eiland figures to have his hands full helping the Yankees make their pitching-related decisions this spring, and the pitching coach says that he is looking forward to the challenge.
Eiland spoke with reporters from the New York Daily News and The Associated Press on Tuesday at the Yankees' Minor League complex in Tampa, Fla., saying that the battle for the fifth rotation spot is "going to be fun."
"For me to say who's the clear favorite -- right now, I can't do that," Eiland said, according to the Daily News. "Time will tell. We have interesting guys, and this is going to be fun to watch. Competition brings out the best in guys, and we'll see who pulls ahead of the pack."
Joba Chamberlain is expected to arrive in camp on Wednesday and will be competing with Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre for a chance to serve as the fifth starter in New York's rotation.
The top four slots are reserved for CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and second-time Yankee Javier Vazquez, acquired from the Braves via trade in December. Chamberlain may have an early leg up on Hughes because he will not be subject to innings limits in 2010.
"We want 200 innings in all five of our guys," Eiland said.
Eiland said that he is looking forward to seeing how Chamberlain responds to the removal of the 'Joba Rules,' which have guided his innings since his arrival as a stud reliever late in 2007.
"He's just going to go out and pitch and he'll be the one who'll dictate when he comes out as far as getting hit or getting tired or losing his stuff," Eiland said.
"He's not going to have any restrictions, so Joe [Girardi] and I are not going to have to go into the game thinking, 'Oh, he's got 85 pitches or six innings or whatever comes first.' We don't have to game-plan it out.
"The kid gloves are off, and he's just going to go out and pitch and he knows that and he's going to come in and be all geared up to win that job, as are the other guys. Competition should bring out the best in everyone."
Eiland said that while the Yankees shuffled their plans to limit Chamberlain's innings, first by spacing out his starts and then by cutting his efforts short after three or four innings, Chamberlain was intentionally kept in the dark.
"He didn't want to know and we didn't want him to know it," Eiland said. "We just wanted him to pitch. There isn't going to be any of that this year and, if he's a starter, we look for him to give us 200 innings."
Sabathia and Burnett are scheduled to arrive in camp this weekend. Eiland spent a rainy Tuesday working with pitchers, including Aceves and David Robertson, while also tossing batting practice to Derek Jeter and Francisco Cervelli.
"It's time to get the boys back together, get after this thing and do it again," Eiland said. "The calendar has flipped over to 2010 and we've got to keep our focus straight ahead."

MLB.com