If you read my previous post on how spring training baseball, even when your pitchers suck and you lose all the time, is really butterflies and rainbows on a sunny day in disguise, you probably are aware of the fact that, before games start actually counting (and even through April, when games technically do count), I’m irritatingly and unflappably optimistic about my Yankees. This, of course, can be dampered by injuries, but as long as Nick Johnson can swing a baseball bat without assistance and as long as Frankie Cervelli is avoiding the headaches, this spring training hasn’t given me any reason to stop smiling.
“But what about Joba?” you say. ”What about our fifth starter? You can’t tell me that you smile at a guy with a 27.00 ERA.”
Well, maybe I don’t smile at him, per se. It’s been ugly so far. There’s no denying that. Not only is Joba getting outpitched by Phil Hughes, he’s getting outpitched by … well, basically everyone.
I’m not ready to count Joba out of the rotation yet (and, according to LoHud, Joe Girardi has
some pretty concrete reasons to keep watching), but, even if we are going to take Joba at face value … that face being the one displayed in the above picture … there’s a heck of a lot of silver lining to this competition for the fifth starter spot.
SILVER. LINING.
Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves were afterthoughts. I didn’t even think they were in the picture even nominally until Brian Cashman announced that the fifth starter competition was a five-horse race … Mitre, Aceves, and Chad Gaudin were being considered as well as the incumbent Joba and Hughes.
While Joba has struggled mightily and Phil has been solid but unspectacular, Mitre and Aceves have lit up spring training. Aceves, if I’m not mistaken, has not allowed a baserunner. While neither of them have the ceiling of a Chamberlain or Hughes, their success simply means more depth for the Yankees. More pitching depth. More major league options in case the 23-year-old Hughes or the 24-year-old Chamberlain are not ready to contribute as major league starting pitchers.
I still expect one of Joba or Hughes to take the fifth starter spot, if only because the organization feels the need to develop their significant upside, but success — even out of longshot candidates — is never, ever a bad thing.
And that’s all for today’s dose of unflappable spring training optimism.
Till next time,
Ana
Now Playing: I Got The Feelin’ – James Brown
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