We have a bullpen to revamp in addition to trying to get a big fish starter from the free agent market. I'm not going to talk to him until he's officially signed. Yes, it's true, our bullpen, while great at times in the 2010 season, just plain straight shit the bed in the playoffs. Kerry Wood, one of the most stable and biggest surprises for the Yanks had an option the team couldn't pick up, too expensive. So we had to say goodbye and it's a shame because, we actually had our setup man for Mo in Mr. Wood. He was consistantly good, he could also be a closer to give Mo a night off and life was good for that brief 2 months after the trade deadline. Before that was Robertson, still a gamer but he hit some bumps along the way. That's ok, he's young and he'll recover. I see him being dominant again in 2011. Next you have Boone Logan, a good lefty specialist who finally figured it all out, until he didn't. Unfortunatley for him it was the most important time to be on, and he wasn't... The playoffs. Next is Mitre and Gaudin.... gone... Thank God.
Finally, we have Joba the Hutt. What can I say about Joba. This guy was heavily advertised as part of the big 3 in 2006. It was him, Hughes and Ian Kennedy. It was the Yanks really saying "We don't have any good pitching, so let's mask these three youngsters and fool everyone."
Well, they didn't fool us. And what happened? Ian kennedy pitches for the Diamondbacks, the Yanks jerked Joba from starter to setup to starter to setup and Phil Hughes was finally stretched out and is the most promising of the bunch.
But my question is this...Is Joba really a starter or a reliever? Should the Yankees stretch out his young arm and give him another shot? I say no... here's why. Keeping Joba in the bullpen and teaching him how to explode in 1 or 2 innings and be totally dominant is more effective for him.
People say, "You're wasting all that talent." What talent? I haven't seen anything yet and last time I checked he was most effetive in short outings, plain and simple. I remember him dominating the Red Sox in late innings. He had some great moments this year as well. Joba can throw real hard if he learns that role consistantly, he will eventually be the Yankees closer. I believe that.
My friend Dave said to me, "I don't know about Joba, something changed in him with those bugs in Cleveland." I laughed and I didn't know if he was joking or not but then I thought, could one tramatizing situation like that night in Cleveland really have affected his psyche, his confidence? It is possible that it was the beginning of his lack of drive? You couple that with being transformed into starter and then put back in the bullpen and you might think you just don't have it anymore. I bet Joba didn't believe in himself. I see how that could happen. So what's the fix? For me, it's getting Joba in the right state of mind, focus him, teach him the Mo way. He'll never be Mariano, no one can, but he could can come damn close if he has the guidance and drive to do it. If we fix Joba, maybe, just maybe then we can build that bullpen too. Try and bring back Wood cheaper, get a Benoit or Balfour and get a couple grizzled veterans to compete for a role in spring training. I see a solid bullpen in our future. Remember the Graeme Lloyd, Stanton, Nelson, Mariano bridge? Picture the Robertson, Benoit, Joba, Mo Bridge, 2011 style.
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