Hughes in, Gaudin Gone: Yankees Rotation is Set

Spring training is not only a time to fine tune your team before the regular season begins, but also a time to finalize your starting pitching rotation before opening day.  The Yankees recently did just that when Joe Girardi named Phil Hughes their number 5 starter.  That makes the final rotation C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang, and Hughes.

Hughes was previously locked in a battle with Joba Chamberlain, Sergio Mitre Chad Gaudin, and Alfredo Aceves to see who would earn the fifth and final spot in the starting rotation.  Girardi had previously been shuffling the five pitchers around like he was playing texas hold em poker in an effort to find the fifth starter.  In the end, the development of Phil Hughes’ changeup proved to be a big difference maker.

Girardi touched upon Hughes’ much-improved changeup by saying, “We evaluated the whole spring and we were very excited with the improvement in his changeup.  To me, that made a big difference in who he is.”  Girardi continued by talking about the tough decision he had to make and said, “You try to talk about every scenario possible and cover yourself in every scenario.  When we walked out, Phil Hughes was our guy.”

Hughes, who made several starts last season while Chien-Ming Wang was injured, is definitely prepared for the role.  He said, “I grew up a starter in high school, minor leagues, even my first couple partial seasons in the big leagues.  It was something that I really wanted and I feel like I’m ready for the challenge and ready for the season that lies ahead.”

After naming Hughes the starter, Girardi and the Yankees management decided to let Chad Gaudin go.  Gaudin was acquired from San Diego last August in the midst of their title run and he went 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA in six starts.  The decision to let Gaudin go will save the Yankees some money since they’ll pay him $725,410 for an early termination rather than the $2.95 million salary he commanded.

As far as Chamberlain goes, he will look to earn the 8^th inning relief role while Aceves should also have a spot in the bullpen.  Mitre definitely has some work to do in spring training to see if he’ll make the team.

2010 Yankees Season Preview

With spring training in full progression, the MLB regular season is just around the corner. The Yankees come back with some new faces in addition to the champions that went down in history as the 2010 World Series winners. Among the additions are outfielder Curtis Granderson and the second-comings of starter Javier Vasquez and DH Nick Johnson. Among those who have left the Pinstripes are Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Chien-Ming Wang, and Melky Cabrera.

While it certainly seems like our outfield will improve drastically, some have raised questions on where the lost runs from Damon, Matsui, and Cabrera will come from. Granderson is bound to do well at the plate, but Gardner (who looks to be Damon’s replacement) hasn’t had much success at bat in the majors and some don’t see Swisher coming through again. Either way though, as long as the big guys can stay off IR and remain healthy, there shouldn’t be much to worry about. Plus, with some younger guys in the outfield with a new team, we may just see some changes in their stats as well.

In the rotation, things look even better this year with the addition of Javier Vasquez. The loss of Wang won’t be felt much as he missed most of last season any way, although he is a good pitcher either way. Rivera is expected to be Rivera and hopefully the rest of the pen can stay at it.

It will be an interesting season as the Yankees pursue a repeat title. We still have a dangerous team, but with some big changes in Boston and elsewhere around the league, nothing can be guaranteed. As a Yankee fan, I still place all my faith in our Pinstripes and will be eagerly awaiting October.