Loaisiga looks too impressive to go unprotected

After a game like last night, the Yankiverse experiences a false sense of serenity. Jonathan Loaisiga pitched like the Second Coming of Greg Maddox, so suddenly, all problems seem to have vanished. We're drowning in starters, with Masahiro Tanaka on the verge of a Scranton rehab.

To top it off, there is the Tampa model to consider. Watching the Yanks being throttled by mini-waves of relievers, you have to wonder if our own bullpen could not win in a pinch? Imagine a Betances-Warren-Robertson-Holder-El Chapo progression - ditch Chasen Shreve - and you could steal a game. Burn bullpen, instead of rotation, right? Arms are arms, eh? 

Listen: The dog days are near, and the Empire must be exceedingly careful with Loiasiga. Last night, he made it look easy - maybe too easy. Rookie starters are prone to be erratic; we still don't know which Domingo German will show up on a given night. Right now, for better or worse, most of our rotation is amazingly on track with last year's workload.

Luis Severino, 104 innings, 2.24 ERA (Last year: 191 innings, 2.98) On track.
CC Sabathia, 76 innings, 3.14 ERA (Last year: 148 innings, 3.69) On track.
Masahiro Tanaka, 72 innings, 4.58 ERA (Last year: 178 innings, 4.74) On track.
Sonny Gray, 80 innings, 4.93 ERA (Last year: 162 innings, 3.55) On track.
Domingo German, 63 innings, 5.40 ERA (Last year: 111 innings, 3.16 in minors & majors) On track.
Jonathan Loaisiga: 14 innings, 1.93 ERA - (45 innings in 2018, counting minors.) (Last year: 32 innings, 1.93, in minors) Seriously overworked. 

As you see, I've flagged the inconsistency. It's a ridiculous leap of faith to think Loaisiga can pitch deep into August or September. He may look like a young Mariano, but Sam Mittello might be the better comparison. He'll soon log the most innings since 2013, when he pitched in Single A for the Giants, and threw 68. He is a stopgap at best, unless we burn him out, which would be unforgivable. With stuff like that, he has to be protected.    

So... what do we do? Well, as a parlor game, here is the current five-man in Scranton.

Justus Sheffield, 38 innings, 3.26 ERA
Josh Rogers, 86 innings, 3.32 ERA
Nestor Cortez, 44 innings, 4.23 ERA
David Hale, 50 innings, 4.26 ERA
Chance Adams, 65 innings, 5.21 ERA

Help on the way? I dunno. Sheffield is the big name. Rogers could throw some innings. Chance Adams has been awful. Cortez has interesting stuff; we nearly lost him in last December's Rule 5 draft. Hale is Scranton's version of AJ Cole.

Here's the reality: Brian Cashman will be searching the scrap piles for this year's Jamie Garcia, a journeyman tin can who won't cost much. From the bleacher seats, we'd rather see Sheffield, someone who inspires hope. That's not Cashman's style. Remember:

Bird gotta fly,
Fish gotta swim;
Cashman gotta think,
"Trade for him!"

No matter how you slice it, a trade is coming. The Yankees need a sixth starter, a bullpen lefty, and maybe a backup catcher. Jonny Lasagna is too promising to be thrown into a grinder. Hold your breath, folks.