Quote:
Originally Posted by koohead
I'll play devils advocate and say leave him in the pen. MLB has proven that closers are worth millions. sometimes more than 3rd or 4th starters. Joba has shown that he can be a top tier closer. What's that worth? $5 million a year? more? How important has Mo been over the years? Why not have the next Mo for the next 10-12 years? Groom him with another year or two and then he'll be ready to step in to close games for the next decade.
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I'll bedevil you in turn by saying that your strategy, while I can agree with it for the long-term, will not work in the short run with the always-present need to win today. If the Yankees were not having problems with their starting rotation, then yes, do what you say.
However, 2 or 3 (if you count Mussina) of the starters are in trouble which, if it continues, could result in the same slow start as last year which was difficult to overcome. It looks like Hughes and Kennedy are going to need more development, possibly in AAA, and that leaves a hole in the rotation that cannot be tolerated with Chamberlain only pitching an inning or two every other day.
My opinion of Hank Steinbrenner keeps going up and down. While he is right in this IMO, he himself is an idiot for talking that way about his GM and his brand new manager. I can only hope that those two have already decided that what Hank says to the media, running his mouth off-the-cuff, is not nearly as important as what is said behind closed doors.