If Joe Girardi goes into his office later this week and pulled names out of a hat, he may have discovered the best way to pick the final three members of his bullpen. Spring Training is a flawed proving ground, and given the unimpressive performance of so many of those auditioning, using it as the ultimate decider could prove depressing.
As Bronx Cheer has noted before, four of the bullpen's spots are spoken for. Mariano Rivera, Kyle Farnsworth, LaTroy Hawkins and now Joba Chamberlain (shudder) will all have chances to prop their feet up and watch the game through that window in the left-center-field wall. Of the remaining spots, one will likely go to a lefty -- Billy Traber was in line for that even before the Yankees decided Sean Henn will begin the season on the disabled list -- and another will probably go to a long reliever. The third will go to a righty who can step in when if Hawkins and Farnsworth disappoint.
At this point, Girardi should just go with the hot hand, Scott Patterson. He hasn't allowed a run and allowed only one hit in six scoreless innings during Spring Training. He also hasn't allowed a walk or an inherited runner to score. On Monday, he went so far as to get five outs while facing four batters -- a double play really is a pitcher's best friend. His Minor League numbers are the real reason he should make the show. He's struck out enough guys to give hope he can do something similar at the highest level. Even though many Yankees fans may not have heard of the guy before Feb. 15, Patterson deserves a shot.
Spring Training numbers mean next to nothing. They don't show if the performance came before or after the big-leaguers stopped playing in the game. A pitcher who throws the seventh inning several times can look great, but he'll be looking great against Double-A and Triple-A players. Besides, the sample size is just too small.
The Yankee don't have to be tied to their decision for long. If Patterson makes the team and then struggles, they'll just send him down and bring up someone else. Ross Ohlendorf, Jose Veras and, to a lesser extent, Edwar Ramirez could all get early looks. Veras' shaky spring may decrease his chance to head north with the team, but the doubts are nothing a few solid innings in Triple-A won't erase. Ohlendorf, the Princeton product and a major part of the Randy Johnson trade, also has a great shot to be a contributor. With Patterson, he has the best shot to make the club out of Spring Training.
Brian Bruney, despite getting guaranteed money, could be on the outside looking in. The Yankees are rightfully concerned about his control. Maybe they can trade him for something like the Braves did with Tyler Yates. Otherwise, he'll have to pass through waivers -- a possibility given his contract -- and then he would have to accept a Minor League assignment. That is a chat he should be getting ready to have with his agent. On the other hand, maybe Bruney's contract will encourage the Yankees to keep him around before cutting bait.
The bottom line with these Yankees relievers: All have a chance to be an asset as a capable setup man. They likely won't put forth any efforts like Chamberlain did last year or like Scot Shields had been known to produce for the Angels until his arm began to fall off. But the Yanks' corps can still contribute.
The Yankees should have an above-average closer and setup man as long as Chamberlain is around. They should also have an average sixth and seventh man in the bullpen. What comes before that remains to be seen. Chamberlain will need to leave the bullpen for the rotation at some point, or the Yankees will prove they intend on horribly misusing him. If the Yankees are to compete for a playoff spot this year -- that's not a foregone conclusion -- they'll need to get more from the bullpen than they did last season. And they'll likely need Chamberlain to contribute valuable innings as a starter instead of overwhelming people with two pitches for a frame or two at a time.
The Yankees bullpen is especially important given the inexperience of starters like Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Girardi must feel like he can take a starter out after five innings without giving up the game. If the manager doesn't get the feeling that he can do that, the pressure on him to keep up the Yankees' string of postseason appearances could doom the long-term health of the young pitchers.
Bronx Cheer is cautiously optimistic about the non-Rivera, non-Chamberlain parts of the bullpen, but, like last year's club, the 2008 version will need to hope that the offenses scores enough runs to make mediocre pitching adequate.
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