Joe Girardi made it official today, Phil Hughes will be the team’s fifth starter. Chad Gaudin was released due to his terrible spring and Chamberlain, Mitre and Aceves will continue to battle for the bullpen.
Many Yankees fans and baseball fans are in agreement with this move, but I do not think this is the best move for the Yankees. Here’s why:
- We have seen Hughes in the rotation before–> not very effective at all. Yes, you can argue that he is more developed now, but pitching well in the spring doesn’t translate to pitching well in the regular season
- We have seen Hughes in the bullpen before–> dominant as anyone.
- We have seen a dominant reliever transition to a starter (Chamberlain) with the Yankees before–> failed experiment is an understatement.
- Imagine a bullpen that could go Hughes/Robertson to Chamberlain to Rivera with Aceves as long relief–> can’t get much better than that
- By choosing Hughes with an innings limit, you are guaranteeing a little bullpen overuse–> not the best for long term success
On the bright side, the Yankees have C.C. Sabathia, Javier Vazquez and A.J. Burnett anchoring the rotation.
Do you agree with this move? Comment below