Joba to start in Bullpen, finish in Rotation

[browntown653]

There reportedly will be a whole new set of "Joba Rules" in 2008.

The New York Post reported Tuesday that New York Yankees phenom Joba Chamberlain will begin the season as Mariano Rivera's setup man, then be sent down to the minors in June to stretch out his arm so he can be part of New York's rotation for the second half.

According to the Post, the Yankees want to limit the 22-year-old Chamberlain to approximately 140 innings in 2008 and starting him out of the bullpen will help to keep his innings count down.

The Post report states that the Yankees will start Chamberlain in the bullpen, not only to protect his arm but to find his successor as setup man. The newspaper reported that the team will audition several young relievers from a group including Alan Horne, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and Ross Ohlendorf in the sixth and seventh innings in the hope they can replace Chamberlain when he moves into the rotation.

ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported in December that the Yankees were considering this as an option.

A starter in the minors, Chamberlain became Rivera's primary setup man during the final two months of last season.

"We've approached it in a great way. We're going to go in the beginning and understand there's an innings limit, and I know that," Chamberlain said Monday. "I'm excited to have a new challenge this year."

Chamberlain enters spring training along with two other heralded young pitchers: Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. The Yankees are relying on youth more than in recent years as they try to dethrone the World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Chamberlain will work with the starting pitchers during the early part of spring training, even if he begins the season in the bullpen. Last year, Chamberlain worked under strict pitch and innings limits, which came to be known as the Joba Rules.

"This game is definitely a marathon, not a sprint, and I understand that," Chamberlain said. "Last year, it was kind of frustrating, having the rules, but you understood what it was about. I understand the work load and what's going to go on, but this is going to be my first go around, so I've got to be patient and learn and understand that I've got to ask questions as I prepare myself for a full season in the big leagues."

Chamberlain has been throwing off a mound for the past month at the Yankees' minor league complex. The on-field success has changed his off-field life, which includes being recognized more in public and invitations to baseball events.

"I definitely got some frequent-flyer miles, I'll tell you that much," Chamberlain said with a smile. "It's just the opportunities that came, and the people that I got to meet was great. If you don't perform on the field, you don't get to do all that great stuff and enjoy yourself in the offseason. It was definitely an honor. Hard works pays off, but you've got to come back and work even harder so you can have that much fun next year."

I actually like this. I think it's a smart move, giving the Yankees some bullpen stability at the beginning of the season and enabling them to try and find another solid young reliever for the end. Hopefully injuries to other pitchers do not hurry Joba into starting, but they have been taking it easy with him so I doubt it. I think they can incorporate the transition while continuing to contend as well.

[ljshorty89]

My only worry, were I a Yankees fan, would be whether he can handle the transition from SP to MR(which he has done), and then go back mid season. The reason that he became a yankee was that other teams were worried about injury concerns, and this kind of a change can be disastrous. While I don't doubt that Joba has the ability to be great in any role...I don't know if a mid season switch is a good idea.

[Saber]

My concern would be the transition in workload distribution as well as the development of a third pitch.

[browntown653]

Well, he brought out the curveball a few times last year, and quite honestly I don't know why he only threw it ocassionally because it looked very good...his changeup apparently is a work in progress though.

[love_that_reefer]

Finally the Yankees listen to me. I have been saying all along that Joba needed to stay in the pen. If only they heard me before they signed Mariano to that ridiculous contract.

[nyjunc]

I will be shocked if Joba goes into the rotatioin halfway through barring any major injuries to the rotation. I expect he'll be in the pen all year long.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Finally the Yankees listen to me. I have been saying all along that Joba needed to stay in the pen. If only they heard me before they signed Mariano to that ridiculous contract.

Are you saying you wanted to let Mo go and put Joba in the closer's slot? Absolutely not. The Yankees did the right thing by re-signing the game's best closer of all time. Joba's slot is perfect where he is. You pretty much end the game before the 8th inning with this set-up.

As for Joba in the pen, it's a good move. You keep his one-inning intensity, which i think many people underestimate the effect of, and you warm him up for rotation work later in the year. Also, it gives you time to audition some new guys in the 6th and 7th inning for the set-up role later in the season.
And he absolutely will be in the rotation by the second half of the season. There are always injuries, plus you have many relatively unproven arms in the rotation with Hughes and Kennedy, plus Mussina is an unknown after absolutely s&*%ing the bed last season. He will find a spot somewhere.

[love_that_reefer]

Yes that is absolutely what I am saying. It worked with Papelbon, why not Joba? It's better than signing your declining closer to a three year contract. Yankees keep living in the past which is why they can't go forward. I knew Joba was going to the pen because the Yankees have done nothing to address it but sign LaTroy Hawkins. Gross.

[browntown653]

What's gross is that you would let arguably the greatest closer of all-time walk over a three year deal. Who did you want setting up? Brian Bruney? Ross Ohlendorf? KYLE FARNSWORTH?

[love_that_reefer]

What's gross is the Yankees inability to learn from their mistakes. You could have found a good setup man for half the cost Rivera makes annually. That's why the Red Sox are a better run organization.

[browntown653]

What "mistakes" are similar to this Rivera deal, please tell me...don't say Pavano, or Wright, because those have nothing to do with re-signing an amazing closer.

[love_that_reefer]

Rivera is the greatest closer of all time who is declining and isn't even the best closer in the league anymore. Signing a declining closer to a three year deal making him the highest paid closer is a mistake. Spending money like it is nothing has haunted this franchise and they haven't won a title ever since they started this $200 million payroll trend. This is a poorly run franchise but at least they got they put Joba where he is most needed.

[browntown653]

Poorly run franchises don't make 14 postseasons in a row...funny you should say that considering you would know a thing or two about poorly run franchises.

[General]

Damn, sheet, damn.

[love_that_reefer]

Yes I do and thanks for trying to change the subject. As a Yankee fan, you know more than anyone that simply making the postseason is not good enough considering that payroll. Stop signing aging players to long ass deal for a shitload of money and I bet you anything this team would look more and more like the Yankees of the late 90's. Yankees let Wetteland go after a WS title because Rivera was ready and Torre knew that. Same should have happened this year. Papelbon loves his ring.