WHY MARK PRIOR CAN'T CATCH A BREAK

Mark Prior’s hurt again. I swear to God. It’s like a bad bad joke. I suggest he cut all ties with Nick Johnson immediately, this is ridiculous. Prior was scheduled to pitch yesterday, but because of what seems to be a sore shoulder, they scratched his pitching appearance. Read about it HERE.

When does a player decided that enough’s enough? Mark Prior, who has fought his way through arm surgery, soreness, groin pulls and who knows what else has to think that he’s getting Punk’ed right now and Ashton Kutcher’s about to pop up in Tampa and laugh his balls off. But it’s not that simple. Clearly Mark Prior’s body’s not working right. The Associated Press reports that he was supposed to pitch in a Gulf Coast League game and because of that soreness, they decided to give it a few days. Let’s hope it’s just a few days.

Look, I wrote about my love for Mark Prior in THE PATIENCE OF MARK PRIOR. Maybe I should just cut ties with my obessession, it’s clear this guy may not make an appearance this year. But yes, it’s true, because of Prior’s drive and dedication to make it, I can’t walk away just yet. Now look, if he comes back from this injury and suddenly gets hit by a truck, I really have to rethink this. For now, I have some strict ground rules for Mark Prior getting back to the Bigs:

• Prior must stay in the bubble and only come out if there is a catcher 6o feet 6 inches away.
  
  
• He must make sure it’s at least 75 degrees and sunny and he needs to wear sunscreen.
• Prior must make sure your shoes are tied, or better yet, get Velcro cleats.
• He make be sure the mound is manicured and there is no rosin bag. We don’t want him to trip over it.
  
  
• Only throw 5 pitches, that’s safe.
  
  
• He should wear sunglasses. We don’t want dirt to accidently get kicked in his eyes.
  
  
• When Prior's finished throwing, he needs to walk slowly to the dugout. DO NOT step on the foul line. Instead, he needs to step over it. I’m supersticious.

Mark, I hope you read Bleeding Yankee Blue and yes, I know it’s got to be frustrating at this point but we have to laugh. It’s pure comedy. How does someone get hurt as much as you and NOT laugh. Sorry Eric Chavez, I forgot about you.

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THE PATIENCE OF MARK PRIOR

If you know me, you know I love and have always loved Mark Prior, in between his injuries of course. This is a guy that has pitched great while healthy, but the healthy moments are few and far between and if you look at his list of injuries through the years, he’s been hurt more than healthy. It’s quite fascinating actually.

Well, Mark Prior's patient, more patient than any man I know that continually takes a beating like he has. Why? Because late last week, Mark Prior was in a game. I'm NOT KIDDING. With all the injury and pain there is 1 thing Prior has that the other injury prone ballplayers don't have... resilience.

That's why I don’t give up on Prior because he doesn't give up on himself. I know he’s got the talent and I know the Yankees do too, if they didn’t, they would have cut him loose months ago. I say stay the course, let this guy heal and try to make it back to the big show, even if it’s 1 inning just to see if he still has it. After all, the money spent is minimal and who knows, maybe, just maybe he can make it back to contribute and see if there’s any lightening in that bottle. Don’t forget, at one point in his career, he was 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA. That was with the Chicago Cubs. Yes, In fairness, it was 8 years ago, but it’s raw talent. I can only imagine where he’d be in the record books if he was healthy. Yeah, it sounds stupid that I’m living in the past... it's definitely stupid, but I believe in him.

So, here are the details, in his Gulf League outing last Friday, Prior pitched 16 pitches, 9 of them were strikes. After he pitched, he said he felt good. That's great as far as I'm concerned. Read about it HERE. According to MLB, "Prior then recorded two strikeouts on 10 pitches, both on nasty curveballs that were clocked at 79 mph and 80 mph. His fastball throughout the outing ranged between 90 mph and 92 mph."

And I found this nuggest interesting. When talking about the different pitches he threw MLB has this from Prior:



"I figured something out with the grip, and I kind of hold it like a slider now. It used to go back too far, so I changed my grip just a tiny bit, and that's made a huge difference. I've been drawing on the ball to practice it, and that's helped out a lot." Prior got the tip from Roy Halladay and said it's been useful. "I have a lot more trust and confidence with it now," he said.



I'm looking forward to Prior's next outing, and to hopefully making it back to the big show.



And speaking of the big show, just wanted to let ya'll know that the Yankees may have released lefty JC Romero from his minor league contract recently, but it doesn't mean their done with looking at lefty pitching. The Texas Rangers released Arthur Rhodes and he has become a free agent. The Yankees are interested in the 41 year old. Read about it HERE. If they did sign Rhodes, it would be to a minor league deal. Anyway... stay tuned.



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WHY THE YANKEES ARMS RACE HAS STARTED

The Yankees are looking, no doubt about it but the good news is, some of their relief is on the mend, so just in time for the second half, the New York Yankees may end up with more pitching than they needed. But as you know, you can never have too much pitching.

First off you must know that Mark Prior is close he pitched his first game since nursing that groin injury. Read about it HERE. So, because he's throwing again, I expect to see him back soon. The question is, will he get a shot in the big show before season’s end? Man I hope so, just to see this guy healthy and in action would make me smile. Does Prior still have what it takes? He’s talented, but we’ll have to see.

Rafael Soriano is expected back soon but he still needs to do a few more rehabs before they determine when he's returning. Read it HERE. RaSo, while having a few good moments, and being apart of the Three Headed Monster has had a rough start in the Bronx no doubt and injury to this guy won’t help his reputation. If Soriano comes back and acts like a stuck up disease in the clubhouse, the Yankees will have distractions. But if he comes in willing to help any way he can, including taking a back seat to a now dominant David Robertson, things will be just fine.

Heath Bell: He is such a likable guy and very talented. The Yankees have been linked to Bell for a few weeks now, but other teams are connected to him... the Phillies, Red Sox and Rays. If the Yankees can pick up this arm, it will be a huge help to the already terrific Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Cory Wade and Luis Ayala gang. Plus, we’ll crowd things up with Rafael Soriano and maybe even another lefty to assist Boone Logan. The big question about Bell is "Who will the Yankees will give up for him?" Many are suggesting Jesus Montero. Read about this HERE. Also, Some would suggest trying to snag Heath Bell is just gluttonous. I call it stability. The Yankees didn’t pick up a top starter in the off season don’t forget, but we got damn lucky with the performances of Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia. Extra help in the bullpen is always needed in case these guys fall apart and last night there was an indication of that with Colon. I like this move for Heath Bell, even if they're looking at it as a rental.

JC Romero: Yes, the Nationals released him and the Yankees have signed him to a minor league deal. Read about it HERE. Romero is a lefty and could be affective in the pen with Boone Logan, but as I’ve said all along, I like the idea of someone like Scott Kazmir instead because it could be a diamond in the rough. The only issue with my scenario is Kazmir might want to start somewhere and all I’m saying is you can take a chance with him as a lefty specialist in the pen. At any rate, if the Yankees like what they see from Romero, it could be a good marriage down the stretch.

Scott Kazmir: Yes, I believe his starting days are over right now and I have this ridiculous idea to bring him into our pen to face a few lefties once in a while. Kazmir was recently attached to the Rangers at one point after he was released by the Angels. Read it HERE. The problem with that was, the Rangers are not terribly interested in the left hander, according to MLB Trade Rumors. You know our stance here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we like Kazmir. For 1, it helps the Yankees with an extra lefty and 2, Kazmir may be able to reinvent himself.

Sean Burnett: The lefty Nationals pitcher would be a smarter alternative to someone like Scott Kazmir because for the most part, his performance against lefties is pretty damn good: .235 BA and 1.17 WHIP. Read about it HERE.

Matt Capps: Bolstering the bullpen with someone like Capps may be a good idea, but I don’t necessarily see that happening. This year Capps has 13 saves. Every once in a while there is a “rumor” between the Yankees and Capps, but it never has legs. My guts saying it still doesn’t have legs. Read it HERE.

Good things are happening in Yankeeland when it comes to pitching. We are back to the second half grind and close to the trade deadline so expect the rumors to start heating up and the Yankees to step up as they make a run for another Division championship and beyond. After all, we are the New York Yankees… the best God damn team ever.

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WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE YANKEES?

Now that the All-Star break is over, what should the Yankees do to bring them to the next level?
Our Crosstown Rival, The Mets just traded away their closer Francisco Rodriguez for prospects to make the first deadline deal. The Mets are clearly in a rebuilding stage, and are trying to dump salary, but our Yankees are trying to figure out what it will take to bring them to the next championship.Let's take a look at which areas we need help with, and which possible candidates could be used to fill these voids:

• RELIEF: We are missing a solid 6th inning reliever. Joba Chamberlain went down with an injury earlier in the year, and David Robertson stepped up to take the 8th inning spot until RaSo comes back. Then, I think DRob will probably be moved back to the 7th inning spot, but who will be used to pitch in the 6th inning? I say call up someone from AAA or AA such as, Andrew Brackman, Lance Pendleton, or maybe even Mark Prior among others.

• TOP FLIGHT PITCHER: We are it and it could carry us through the playoffs if we had one. I say trade for someone such as Mark Buehrle or "Pretty Boy" CJ Wilson.

• EXTRA HITTING: Any team could always need another bat. I think having another person for some power or average is a threat in the lineup could really spice things up. I say trade for a 3 month rental and see how it pays out. My few candidates to trade for are Lance Berkman, Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, or if a miracle were to happen, Albert Pujols.
  

IMAGINE this lineup:

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Pujols/ Prince Fielder DH
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Teixeira 1B
7. Swisher RF
8. Martin C
9. Gardner LF

seems like Murderers Row 2.0, right?

Let me know what you think by commenting on this post or hitting me on Facebook. Or, if you have a blackberry you can add the Bleeding Yankee Blue group on BBM and we can converse in there. Thanks.



--Will Cohen, BYB Staff Writer

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WHY HE'S MAN DOWN, NOT OUT

Mark Prior is still hurting and it has nothing to do with his shoulder, but it has everything to do with his groin. It kills me but it’s true. I was and still am rooting for Mark Prior who has had more injuries than B.A. Baracus in the entire A-Team Series and that show had plenty of nutty stunts. The good news is, he has finally thrown a live batting practice and is working his way back. That nugget comes from KFFL.com. Read it HERE. What can you do, we've always known that Prior was an injury risk and most of Cashman’s signing ideas have panned out this year, but some don’t, although I’m not giving up on Prior yet. It sounds like if he threw 27 pitches like it's being reported and feels no pain in that groin, he'll hopefully be on his way back. It’s been quite a while since he was able to face live hitters because this groin injury needed time to heal. Bottom line, if it doesn’t heal, well, C’est la Vie, we'll be forced to move on.

The Scranton Times Tribune reports that with all the problems with his shoulder, this groin is the most annoying because of the time it will take to get back on the mound. They have a great quote: “Mark Prior had to admit that pain was all he could feel. Not physical pain. The pain of disappointment. The brutal pain of frustration.”

That sums it up for me. The guy has had injury upon injury for years with the Cubs, and finally, he comes back to the New York Yankees, ready to contribute, grateful he was given a chance and he was on the right track and then, the groin injury. Son of a Bitch.

You know me, I was expecting to see this guy up and helping out our bullpen by now, and who knows, if there was no groin injury we may have seen him already. It’s got to kill Prior because even when he takes a step forward, he’s taking 2 back. Luckily, this KFFL report is a positive one.

The Scranton times quotes Prior: “I guess one way of looking at it is, It’s not my shoulder, but unfortunately, it hasn’t been getting better. It’s been a long month to say the least.”

If there is one thing to think about, it’s Prior's positive attitude. He wants this more than anyone and I predict, he’ll be up this year, even briefly and that will be enough for me. Heart and Dedication, love it. When this guy is healthy I see good things, even with our already stacked bullpen.

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WHY I SPOKE TOO SOON

I got way too excited about the making of history with the comeback tour of Mark Prior. Sorry, I overplayed my hand. Clearly I love this guy or I wouldn't be writing about him so often. The problem happened 1 day after I wrote WHY IT'S PRIOR AND MILLWOOD AGAINST THE WORLD. Within the 12 hours after I pressed the publish button, I read that Prior will hit the 7 day disabled list shortly after his arrival at Scranton Wilkes-Barre. To me, I cringed because this is a guy that has had a million injuries and all he needs is 1 crick or bad twist and he lands on the DL. Well, it happened and we'll have to wait a bit longer for Priors call up, if ever.

Prior's injury appears to be a strained groin muscle and the injury does not appear to be serious, but I'm sure for him, and selfishly me, it's a bummer. It happened in his first relief appearance in AAA. Hopefully it will clear up soon. I just him back on the mound.

So far this year, Mark Prior has made 4 minor league appearances. Spring training had a lot of people taking notice of Prior and when the Yanks were pretty settled with their team, Prior expressed his excitement of just being wanted by ANY team. He was immediately moved to the minors, where, he was happy to start his road to the majors. All good right? So far, he has a 4.50 ERA in 4 innings and 2 K's.

We all hope to see a healthy and reliable Mark Prior soon. It IS possible you know, but the odds are great considering his injury history. Stay tuned freaks.

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WHY IT'S PRIOR & MILLWOOD AGAINST THE WORLD

Mark Prior was the pitcher that everyone had dead and buried after all his injuries during his brief flicker of greatness with the Cubs. The great news about Mark is he has been promoted to Scranton Wilkes-Barre by the New York Yankees. Read the story HERE.

It's a story no one's really been talking about, except us. And I don't mean the reporting on his promotion, I'm talking about the personal story of Mark Prior. If he gets all the way back to the Yankees, which everyone is rooting for at this point, not only will he be a bright spot in the Yankee bullpen, his story should be developed into a film. Now before you jump down my throat, did you ever see Dennis Quaid as Jim Morris in The Rookie? (Morris story HERE) If so, then you know there's potential.Mark Prior has travelled a long road back and this come back to the Yankees would be amazing. After all, that's where it all started for him. Look, take a moment, read about Prior HERE, and understand I'm not over exaggerating this guy. It's worth the read, trust me.

And speaking of comebacks, Kevin Millwood, is still in the minors and apparently he's made strides. He pitched for Trenton (Read it HERE) and went seven innings and allowed 1 hit in his last start. So what does it mean? They'll keep watching him and if he improves, stays consistent in this appearances and gets his pitches touching 90, I say eventually he could get a call up.

It's funny, the stockpiling of veteran pitchers is interesting right now. Hughes needs to be put on the DL and Colon gets a shot Wednesday night now in Hughes' place. Garcia pitched well in his first game and he's currently 1-0. If, for example, one of those guys sucks in their next appearances, they probably go "on the radar." If Millwood is stretched out next game and pitches well in his next start, he'll be highlighted and if Garcia and Colon were to continue struggling, Millwood could be brought up to fill in. Who knows, I just like the options right now.

2 quality pitchers with gas left in their tanks, Prior and Millwood. Let's hope the price for each coming up to the pros is just right and they shine for Yankee brass and for us fans. One thing's for sure, Cashman will be looking like a genius and smiling ear to ear and so will we.

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WHY YOU NEED TO ROOT FOR PRIOR

Mark Prior wasn't cut today. Instead, he was sent down to Class A ball and Joe Girardi said he wouldn't be surprised if Prior makes it back with the Yankees this season. Now, for anyone who's a Prior fan, like me, you know that's great news.

Prior said about it: "I think I probably surprised a lot of people that I can still kind of hold my own at this level and I know I can, I know my stuff is not what it was, and I don’t expect it to be, but I know it’s good enough to play at this level still.''

This spring was great for Prior, he only allowed one earned run in 7-2/3 innings and posted a 1.17 ERA. He was also able to show a good fastball and breaking ball.

Girardi said he was impressed saying Prior threw the ball good this Spring:

"If he stays healthy, I think he's got a pretty good shot.''

In case you forgot, Mark Prior signed a minor-league deal this winter. The deal had an opt-out clause in it, so, if you decides that he wants to get out of the deal if he never gets a call up by the Yankees, he can. For the moment though, that doesn't seem to be the case. For the moment, Prior is happy to be where he is and says he just wants to get back to the big show. We all want to see you there Mark, we all do.

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WHY IS MILLWOOD STILL LIKELY?

	"At this point, the contract is less important than the situation. Kevin is looking for the best opportunity." --Scott Boras

(photo: Getty)
Look, Kevin Millwood is an innings eating pitcher that for some crazy reason, the Yankees are fascinated with. According to SI's Jon Heyman, the Yanks offered him a contract after he threw at UC-Irvine earlier in the week. Another report about the offer is HERE.

Millwood wants a Major league deal. As we know from earlier this winter, the Yanks offered him a minor league deal and he rejected it. In the meantime, they picked up some once great group of pitchers, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon and Mark Prior, all with big time injury and all working their way back. Millwood, probably has the best health record of them all, which is why the Yanks find him somewhat appealing.(photo: espn)
But, as this very moment, my question is why? Why are the Yankees still pursuing this guy? There's nothing wrong with stockpiling pitchers, true, in fact, I like that, especially being in the position the Yanks were in all winter. I assume they feel that even though Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia pitched well this spring, trouble's coming. It makes sense. Maybe there is just a feeling of being extra safe in getting an innings eater like Kevin Millwood on the roster, putting him in the 4th or 5th hole and using Colon or Garcia as a long man. Then they could put Nova in the number 5 hole and ditch Sergio Mitre. This is me just rambling, but I'm just trying to understand this, and I can't.

Look, I firmly believe that Millwood's record with the Orioles last year was because of who he played for. Yes, he is getting older and he doesn't pitch like he used to and didn't down the stretch for the Orioles, so yes, it was a combination of things, but I don't feel like that 4-16 record would be a Yankee problem like it was an Orioles problem. The offenses are quite different and there would have been more wins and less losses for sure.

This soap opera's not over with Millwood. Not sure why but let the Yanks do what they must, I have faith in them. The fans have been wrong before. There's a method to Miyagi's (I mean Cashman's) madness.

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WHY PRIOR IS OUR MAN

So, After 10 days of our poll WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE YANKEES ROTATION?, 35% of you chose Mark Prior. Now, for those of you who don't remember, Mark Prior was once a prospect that many looked forward to seeing in the future as a pitcher with a dominant career. He was supposed to be a phenom. Then injury happened, again and again, again and again.

Many thought Mark Prior was finished. Mark Prior probably did. But the reality is, he worked his way back and found himself on the Yankees, minor league sure, but a chance to make it to the big stage again. The good news for Mark Prior is, the Yankees have rotation spots opened. if this was a situation where Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte both signed with the Yankees in the off-season, this kid would never see the light of day. So, there's a huge shot here. The only issue, and this is a big one, is that Cashman made it clear that Prior would be a bullpen guy. I don't believe Mr. Cashman.

Look, if you throw all these guys into a Spring Training try out, you have Prior, Garcia, Colon, a bunch of promising prospects, even Joba, there is a shot that these guys impress Yankee Brass. Next thing you know, Priors your 4th guy in the rotation and he actually pitches well. Come July, the guy could be 8 - 2. My point is, you got to give all these guys a fair look. Even though he was signed to "probably" be a reliever, never say never.
I found it interesting, in the poll, many of you chose Joba Chamberlain. That's 25%. Cashman again, made it pretty clear that Joba WILL NOT be a starter. Cashman, I believe will use Joba as relief until other teams show interest. I love Joba in the bullpen, many don't. I understand why, the kid is talented. I just don't ever see him going 7 innings consistantly in 1 season. I think injury affected him, I think confidence is messing with him and I think he's 1 season away from being thrown on the junk pile. It's wrong, it's unfair but that's the dark side of baseball.

In third place, it was a tie. Andrew Brackman and Sergio Mitre. What the hell, did Mitre vote for himself 7 times?

Brackman may have a shot. He was a first round of the 2007 draft, but he got hurt, and he's another guy that needed to work his way back. In Tampa he looked good and was promoted to AA. He pitches in the mid 90's and he has a decent curve. If he continues on the way back from injury on a positive note, he'll get a shot.

Mitre, I don't get. He is a 13-29, 5.27 ERA. To me, he's a mop up guy. But the fans chose him, so who am I to judge.

Thank you all for voting and be sure to show everyone the results. They are interesting. Also, look for the Bleeding Yankee Blue's first Fan of the Week on our page Monday morning. For those of you who haven't sent in their picture wearing Yankee Gear, please do so soon, deadline is February 6th... Super Bowl Sunday. Email to BleednYankeeBlu@gmail.com

Good luck.

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WHY SPRING'S COMING

I have never been so excited about seeing the boys of summer show up at Spring Training as bad as I do today. I woke up to 2 inches of ice on my steps and driveway and it will sit there frozen until 8 tonight when I get home from work and try and break it up. Not going to happen. I want to go to Tampa. Now. I can't stand it.

When the Yankees show up at Spring Training and YES and the local stations start to do their live shots from there, you forget all about the weather here...at least for that minute. We love seeing our boys, new players in their new pinstripes and the rookies trying to make a name for themselves. In years past, watching the games in the spring were all about the new faces trying to make the major league club. My friends always get bored because the starting lineups get taken out by the third inning and suddenly it's a "JV game", according to many. Not to me though, It's fun to see the high numbers take a shot. Number 92? Who the hell is that? Never heard of him. Is he a prospect? Can he hit?

This year especially will be competitive considering what the Yankees did this winter, a lot of low risk pitching mixed with youngsters and the catching situation could prove to be competitive as well. I can only imagine Freddy Garcia, who wants to be in New York, shows us something and gets a role in the back of the rotation. I don't see Bartolo Colon coming up unless we have some issues in the bullpen or we need him to make an emergency start. And what a great story it would be if Mark Prior went against the odds and pitched his way out of the bullpen role and into the starting rotation. Time will tell, but I'm rooting for that.

Reports are Jeter, Russell Martin and others are already in Tampa and have been for a few weeks working out the kinks. Obviously, nothing would make me happier than seeing Andy there. Secretly I hope he just shows up one day and surprises all of us. I know his ego doesn't operate that way, but I'd accept it from Andy this time.

It's February 2nd freaks... the big rat didn't see his shadow this year. So what does that mean? Spring's coming and not a second too soon.

Day 94 Andy... Where are you?

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WHY IT'S NOT O KEI

We can talk about which pitcher can be the best fit for the Yankees rotation all day long. Kevin Millwood, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, but it’s getting aggravating and frustrating. Now, it seems there’s another name being floated as a “sleeper” for the rotation.

I stumbled across a piece by NY Baseball Digest. Sleeper Candidate for the Yankees Starting Rotation caught my eye and when I read it I nearly laughed my ass off. I like this website but was horrified by the name they presented. I know it will never happen, but what makes me even more annoyed is he’ll be allowed a shot like everyone else.

Oh yeah, that “sleeper” I’m talking about is Kei Igawa. Now, before you yell as me, understand that I in no way want Kei Igawa on the Yankees rotation or in pinstripes. I honestly feel like Kei Igawa was a waste and a mistake and the Yankees need to just keep him hidden until his contract is up and dump him on the side of the road when it’s over. 5 years $20 million for a guy that made just 12 starts in the major leagues. That being said, it is my theory that the New York Yankees would in fact allow Kei Igawa a rotation shot just to triple confirm their investment sucks, and then bury him down in the minors again, or ship him off to Pittsburgh for a bag of balls. Yankee Brass hates being wrong, but for this one, they may need to swallow their pride, this Japanese sensation has gone the way of Hideki Irabu.

NY Baseball Digest said this: “When the other options are the oft injured Mark Prior or journeyman Sergio Mitre, what do they have to lose?” Good point. But dare I say I like Mitre better. WHOA. What has happened to me?

So what’s my point to all this? Pitching. There is a whole lot of nothing going on and names have been dropped all over the place. All of us are racking our brain for someone, anyone, that could fit in the Yankee rotation. It’s an exercise done daily by all the blogs while we wait for Andy Pettitte to decide what he wants to do with the rest of his life. It’s painful, it’s nerve racking. It sucks.

Who would you pick assuming Andy Pettitte decides to no longer play baseball? Vote in our poll. Tell us what you think?

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