My Last Love video Manager Joe Girardi said during yesterday’s post game that neither Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves will replace Wang in the rotation. Here’s the quote:
Girardi said the team will have discussions in the next few days about how to replace Wang in the rotation. He immediately ruled out two options: Alfredo Aceves and Phil Hughes. Both have been starters before, but Girardi will not move them from the bullpen.
“They’re not in a position where you could run them out there for 90 to 100 pitches,” Girardi said. “There’s no way.”
Creepshow divx Girardi said Aceves could throw 60 pitches maximum and Hughes only 50. So the starter will have to come from the minor leagues.
Right decision by Joe, and frankly an easy one. It will take Hughes 3-4 starts (2-3 weeks) to get stretched out enough to be able to give you 5-6 innings. Wang is expected back in within a month download Pit and the Pendulum , at which point Hughes would go right back to the bullpen. There’s no point stretching Phil out then putting him back in the bullpen after one start. That’s just begging for him to get hurt, and he has a long injury history as it is. Also, you’d lose Phil’s contributions out of the bullpen in the meantime, which have been huge.
While Wang hasn’t been great for us this year, people forget Phil wasn’t much better when he was in the rotation. Here’s what Wang has done since returning to the rotation against Texas on June 4th:
GS-6 IP-28 ER-20 H-34 BB-11 ERA-6.42 WHIP-1.61
Here’s what Hughes has done as a starter and reliever:
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As a starter Ripper 2: Letter from Within divx
3-2 5.45 ERA, 34.2 IP, 37 H, 15 BB, WHIP 1.52
As a reliever 0-0 1.32 ERA, 13.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, WHIP 0.68
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Could Tomko or Mitre give us that production as a 5th starter? Yes.
Family Business trailer Could anyone else reproduce those numbers in the bullpen? Most likely not. Maybe a healthy Brian Bruney, but we haven’t seen him since last year.
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This again shows that Joe Girardi is again a Ultimate flip flooper. The only reason he moved Phil Hughes to the ben was to honor Chieng Ming Wang and what he has done. Now he goes down and you tell Phil Hughes that your too good as are better served off as the bridge to Mariano or suited for garbage time. A good starter comes at a Premium and the Yankees are again gonna take it on the chin for not doing the obvious but die by going by the book. Sometimes you go against the grain and take a chance and reward success. Hughes did what you asked, its his spot but now even just a little moves has huge reprodcutions that have blown up in our face for the past two years. People forget that Hughes was the one in the rotation for the little flurry win streak we had. I am the biggest fan but hate to say that Wang has been a weak link and this is a blessing in disguise to shut him down and get him right.
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Steve S. Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Hughes has been in the bullpen for our current winning streak, which is 9 of the past 10 games.
As to the rest of your post, I understand and share the sentiment of Phil Hughes’ future being a starting pitcher. But its just not going to happen with the timing involved of the two pitchers, as I detailed in the above post. If you throw Phil out there as a starter for 50 pitches, he will only be able to give you 2-4 innings. Plus, lets not forget that when we stretched Joba out on the MLB level last year, it didn’t go well and he wound up getting a sore shoulder by the end of the year.
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YankeeGrunt Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
So we have another young pitcher still on an innings count next year? He has frontline starter potential, this is a serendipitous opportunity to stretch him out over two or even three starts, get him his innings, and then keep him in the rotation as Joba starts to push up against his innings cap. And next year, when Pettitte leaves, we have five bonafide starters ready to go, with little or no limitation on innings for Phil and Joba. Bring up Melancon and give him a shot, he’s been pretty dominant at AAA and he’s earned another opportunity.
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How is Phil Hughes not the fifth starter. This is why you kept him around and not send him down was to shadow Chieng Ming Wang and help out in the pen. Not only his this not the obvious but its a dumb move if you dont and a blow to the players confidence and team confidence in the coach. If this nobody they call up blows up in Joe Girardis face, I hope the roars get louder and it because obvious that tinkering this small can cost us in a tight division when someone runs away with it. Just remember actions have consequenses for all managers and sometimes a bad move can destroy your pen. If a bad storm can destroy crops then a bad farmer can have no season!
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Steve S. Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 9:44 am
If Hughes was in the minors instead of the bullpen, Phil Coke would be our primary setup man leading to Mariano. Coke’s numbers have been OK, but look at his peripherals. Especially his FIP and LOB%. You don’t want to over expose Coke.
http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=5535&position=P
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I’d love a look see at Ivan Nova or Zach Macalister, though I doubt Yankees would go in that direction.
I hate to say it but Kei Igawa probably could give you some innings.MAybe 5-6 innings 3 runs on a good day.
I think Cashman and Girardi’s handling of Wang was both amatuerish and ill advised.
They were fooling with a guy who’s only problem was he was NOT in professional physical athlet condition when the season satrted.Fooling with his delivery putitng pressure on him ot show something when all he needed was time to get in shape was ridiculous and doomed to injury.
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Steve S. Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 9:46 am
I agree they both have more upside than a Mitre/Tomko, but Nova has had only 1 start in AAA, and Z-Mac is in AA. That would really be pushing it in both cases.
Love to see it, but its just too soon.
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KGsturnz0r217 Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
nova will have to be added to the 40 anyways, so I am not opposed
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Guys with lot’s of minor league experience have come up from Double A in the past and been successful.
Mitre wasn’t any good before the injury.
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Steve S. Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I can’t think of any. Is there someone I’m forgetting?
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I’ve seen a lot of times when people have taken the Baltimore start that Hughes got shellacked in and removed that from his ERA. He had a 3.91 ERA in his four starts before Wang took his spot. I don’t think that putting Hughes back in the rotation is a good idea unless it is for the rest of the season, but he pitched well for the Yankees when he was a starter, especially without the awful Baltimore game.
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Those Hughes as a starter numbers are blown out of whack by one absolutely horrible performance. His last few outings as a starter were quite good. He eventually belongs as a starter. But I agree this isn’t the time if Wang will truly only be out for a month.
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Is Phil Hughes’ long term future as a starter? yes
Cash has to lay down the law. f’real… why can’t we have a Hughes-Tomko-Aceves Start with Hughes getting his pitch limit?
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AndrewYF Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Because that would completely deplete the pen for all the games up to that start. You can’t play major league games with a 4-man bullpen, it’s not fair to anyone.
Hopefully, they just give Aceves the start and hope he goes 5, and go from there. Maybe they send down Albaladejo and call up Mitre to shadow him for the day.
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leftylarry Reply:
July 5th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I could make a case for George Kontos too.
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