The 2008 New York Yankees

[NYJets]

Doesn't deserve a new thread, but worth mentioning, so I might as well start the 2008 thread now.

Buster Olney is saying in his blog that the Yankees would like to keep Joba in the pen to start the season. They are hoping to go with a 5 man rotation of Wang, Pettitte, Hughes, Kennedy, and Mussina. Then they would use Joba as a setup man, still using the "Joba rules" from last year. Main reason is they want to limit his innings. He could move to the rotation in the middle of the season is they need someone.



I hope it's not true. If you do that, I think you are basically making him a reliever for good. I doubt the bullpen is going to be in such good shape that in the middle of a pennant race they are going to be willing to take out their best setup man and hand things over to Kyle Farnsworth.

And even if they did decide to put him in the rotation, he would need time to get used to starting again, and he still needs to work on his changeup and curveball if he's going to be a starter, and he won't do that in the pen.

[YankeePride]

I agree with your concerns but I think there are some positives to it as well.

Obviously, limiting his innings is the big one. That seems to be the main concern of every GM in baseball. So it solves that issue and gives the Yankees the option of having him start in the second half if Mussina or Kennedy can't hold on to a spot.

I actually think putting him in to relieve will help him work on his curve and changeup. He won't always be called on to games that are one-run leads. He can go into those three-run games and try the changeup or curveball. I think he's going to be forced into it regardless because baseball teams are smart and good hitters will learn to sit on his fastball if he sticks with fastball/slider.

I really want Chamberlain to start but I understand this idea. It's basically what the Yankees were doing with Hughes this year. They wanted to wait it out so he worked less innings.

The only thing that doesn't make much sense is protecting Joba but not protecting Kennedy.

[NYJets]

Joba only threw 116 innings last year. Kennedy threw 165. I think he pitched for team USA during college, so he had more innings under his belt. So Kennedy should be able to pitch around 200 innings I'd think next year, Joba not as much.

Hughes does need protecting though imo, he threw the same amount as Joba. I think the Yankees really need 6 starters next year and are going to have to be creative in spreading the workload.

[Sandman42]

I'd rather see them go with the 6 starter approach also. I'm not to kind to the idea of starting Joba off in relief and then moving him into the rotation at some point during the middle of the season. I'd rather see them try out some of the other young pitchers for middle relief and see who can perform the best out of them. They have enough arms down there now with Ramirez, Britton, Veras, Ohlendorf, Albaledejo, and maybe J.B. Cox, Mark Melancon, or Humberto Sanchez if they are ready in time.

[Sandman42]

Here's the schedule for 2008.

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/d...tickets_08.pdf

Looks like we get San Diego, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh in interleague this year.

[Smokey]

Can't wait for '08 to start.

I just created a blog called Sliding Into Home, it's going to cover the Yankees.

[pinnacleguy2]

Looks like we lost the battle to resign Viscaino. He just signed a deal with the Rockies.

[lepe30th]

Is joba gonna be a starter next year?

[Kashanova]

i really wanted joba to start this year

[lepe30th]

He did great out the pen