Monday, November 27, 2017

The bullpen... before everything goes blooey

This we know: Soon, all will change. Once dominoes start tumbling - most notably the fate of George Herman Otani, every molecule across the Yankiverse will be altered, including the bullpen. But for now, today, before the storm, here's where everything stands (and, frankly, it's cause for concern. We could be staring at our downfall.)

1. Aroldis Chapman (age 29). Year two of a troubling 5-season-deal ($17.2 million per.) In late July, he crumbled. Horrible blown saves? No lead was safe. Could be that no closers go an entire season anymore. But now that every team has a guy - maybe two - throwing 100-mph, Chapman isn't so scary. (Aside that he scares us.) What do we have?

2. Dellin Betances (29). Colossal breakdown. Is he why Girardi was fired? As a closer, is he even viable? His trade value is nothing. We have to bring him back, hope for the best. But when he walks that lead-off man... good grief, if he goes 2-0 on the lead-off man... get people warming.

3. David Robertson (32). Showed a flash of old Yankee self after the trade, but Chicago knew what it was doing. Right now, if Chapman tanks, he must carry us. Realistically, how far does he go?

4. Chad Green (26). Will try out in Tampa as a starter. Hope that doesn't make him Joba II.

5. Tommy Kahnle (27). Could he close? Might be the most important bullpen pitcher we have.

5. Adam Warren (30.) Old reliable in long relief. In case of injury, Bryan Mitchell (26).

6. Chasen Shreve (27). If the season started today, the best option we have against LH bats, which is ridiculous. Never been a LOOGY, never will be. 

7. Ben Heller (26), Jonathan Holder (24), Gio Gallegos (26), Domingo German (24). Luis Cessa (25). Pick one from this group. All others go to Scranton. (Note: This is why we traded Nick Rumbelow.) 

8. The cagey, as yet unsigned, veteran lefty. Every year, the Yankees bring in one. Last year, Tommy Layne. Let's hope it's somebody better. Who knows?

12 comments:

JM said...

I'm still full from Thanksgiving. Can't think straight. Not that that's anything new.

Anonymous said...

LETS GET A LEFTY THAT CAN GET RIGHTIES AND LEFTIES OUT.

LETS BAG UP A FEW OF THOSE NAMES (GALLEGOS, HOLDER, AND OR HELLER), AND BRING JUSTIN WILSON BACK.

Anonymous said...

THROW IN SHREVE TOO!

(KIND OF WANT TO KEEP HELLER).

Joe Formerlyof Brooklyn said...


Convert Ellsberger into a pitcher. Maybe he'll be good at that?

Joe Formerlyof Brooklyn said...

Is Babe Ohtani damaged goods?

I found this at baseball-reference.com:

In 2017, he played in 65 games, hitting .332 with 8 homers and 31 RBIs while going 3-2, 3.20 with 29 strikeouts in the mound. In September, it was revealed that Otani would ask to be posted at the end of the season in order to play in Major League Baseball in 2018.

However, before that could happen, he had surgery on his right ankle in early October. The injury had originally occurred in the 2016 Japan Series, and had cost him a chance to play in the 2017 World Baseball Classic in addition to restricting his playing time during the season

. . . the 8 HR/31 RBI came in 231 ABs, according to the same website.

Pitching: 5 games started, 25 total innings pitched.

In 2016: 382 AB, 22 HR, 67 RBI -- 10-4 record as a pitcher in 140 IP.

YES, we're talking about a bidding war for a guy who has pitched 165 innings, total, in the past 2 years.

ranger_lp said...

We can get Ohtani ONLY if we pass the written exam...

Anonymous said...

WE BETTER BE READY TO LET HIM DH AT LEAST 3 OR 4 GAMES A WEEK, OR ELSE HE WILL JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

.....ARE YOU LISTENING KID CASH?

HoraceClarke66 said...

What this means is that he has managed not to be overpitched—a constant habit in Japan—and has probably saved all the more innings for us.

If not—if he turns out to be constantly injured—WHO CARES?

The beauty of this is that Ohtani is NOT vital to our future. He's just the intriguing cherry on top; the last, amazingly cheap piece—maybe. At the least, he will likely bring in at least as much money as he costs.

Even better: his very presence will keep the pressure off everyone else. With everyone preoccupied with "the Japanese Babe Ruth," Judge, Sanchez, Bird, etc., will have all the more room to breathe—crucial in the New York pressure cooker.

This guy is like a free play in football—and to ensure that he comes here, we ought to sign his best friend, Yu Darvish, as well.

I don't care how he looked in the World Series. Every indication is that Darvish will be a very good 3-4 starter. And with him, we will not only get Ohtani, but be forced to keep Green in the bullpen.

Win-Win-Win—so long as Cooperstown and Food Stamps don't blow it.

Anonymous said...

'OL HOSS IS RIGHT ABOUT OHTANI TAKING THE PRESSURE OFF THE KIDS.

I WOULD LOVE DARVISH TOO. (REGARDLESS OF THE WORLD SERIES FLUNK OUT).

.....BUT HAL WON'T GO FOR THE $80 - $100 MILLION (OR MORE!) PRICE TAG DARVISH IS GOING TO GET.

LETS JUST HOPE FOR THE "JBR" (JAPANESE BABE RUTH).... GO ON YOUTUBE AND TYPE HIS NAME IN.....

THE GUY HAS REAL STUFF (99MPH FASTBALL), A GREAT LOOKING SLIDER, AND A GOOD SPLITTER TOO.

I'M SOLD ALREADY WITHOUT SEEING THE HITTING PART OF HIS GAME!

THIS GUY MAY BE WILLY WONKA FOR US.

ranger_lp said...

Can someone tell me why we resigned Larry Rothschild when he can't straighten out Bettances?

Local Bargain Jerk said...


...can't straighten out Bettances

... and Nova.

... and Pineda.

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