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Projecting the Bullpen

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 11:00 am No Responses »
Feb 032011

Yesterday, I projected the potential starting rotation by WAR so I’ll do the same thing with the bullpen today. However, it’s near impossible to tell just how many guys will be pitching in the bullpen and at what times. In fact, it’s possible that some of the guys I projected in the rotation will get significant innings in the bullpen rather than in the rotation. To avoid guess work, I’ll just be calculating the WAR of guys we KNOW will be in the bullpen and comparing their personal marks to those of last year. The guys we KNOW will be in the bullpen:

Mariano Rivera
Rafael Soriano
David Robertson
Joba Chamberlain
Pedro Feliciano
Boone Logan

I’m leaving out the long man because I have no idea who that’s going to be. I put the pitchers in that order because that’s how I think they’ll be used in terms of leverage, and that’s how the spreadsheet is formatted. To clarify, we’re assuming Mariano Rivera is going to be used in the highest leverage situations while Boone Logan will be used in the lowest leverage situations. Obviously, this is flexible and not exact, but we’ll roll with it for now. On to the projections!

Mariano Rivera: 2.99 FIP in 68 IP, 2.7 WAR
Rafael Soriano: 3.48 FIP in 66 IP, 1.3 WAR
David Robertson: 3.68 FIP in 67 IP, 0.8 WAR
Joba Chamberlain: 2.98 FIP in 72 IP, 1.4WAR*
Pedro Feliciano: 3.89 FIP in 65 IP, 0.5 WAR
Boone Logan: 4.24 FIP in 48 IP, 0.2 WAR

*Joba’s CAIRO projection included nine starts, which affected his originally projected IP (85) and FIP (3.94). So, I used his 2010 season as a guide and rounded up to 72 innings, while keeping his FIP tally the same. Joba showed in 2010 that he was pretty good at the FIP skill set and his career as a reliever (2.55 FIP) mirrors that.

So how do the 2011 projections compare the 2010 results? We see Joba staying the same at 1.4 WAR while we see Mo gaining an entire win from his 2010 season. D-Rob gains a tenth of a win; Logan loses two tenths of a win. Soriano drops three tenths of a win, and that’s probably due to the FIP correction CAIRO sees for Rafael. As for Feliciano, he’d also be dropping three tenths of a win but I may be underestimating his leverage.

In terms of confidence, I feel a good deal of it int he FIP projections (though Soriano’s may be a touch high) but not necessarily so in terms of the exact leverage numbers. Logan and Feliciano may end up in higher leverage situations than I anticipated due to different matchups and it’s possible that Joba and Robertson switch places in terms of who gets how many higher leverage innings. No matter what, though, I’m confident that the Yankee bullpen will be more than solid in 2011.

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Envisioning Bullpen Roles

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 11:00 am 2 Responses »
Jan 072011

Last night in the River Avenue Blues open thread, a commenter asked what the Yankees would plan to do without Kerry Wood as the definite set-up man. I wanted the Yankees to bring back Wood at the right price, but he ended up taking a sweetheart deal to go pitch for the Cubs. However, as I responded in the thread, the Yankees will be just fine in the bullpen, even without Wood.

I fully expect David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain to do the set up job just fine. They combined for over 132 innings last year and could likely both handle a moderate inning increase–think about 10-15 innings between the two of them. That could apply more to Robertson, who pitched 61.1 innings last year. Chamberlain’s total was pretty high at 71.2. In fact, that total was the 7th highest among all American League relievers.

Chamberlain’s ERA wasn’t pretty in 2010, but there are indicators that 2011 will be better. Chamberlain’s K/9 was a shade under 10 at 9.67 and his 2.76 BB/9 is more than fine. He also dropped her his HR/9 to 0.75. The 45.6 GB% is also encouraging, and I would expect that .342 BABIP to drop. His 66.6% strand rate was rather low, too. I think we can count on a better strand rate in 2011.

Robertson, as usual, still had the strikeouts working for him (10.42 per nine). The walks were still there for him at 4.84 BB/9, but he upped his GB% to just under 40% and also dropped his HR/9 to 0.73. There aren’t any apparent red flags for Robertson, and I’m confident in his ability to repeat 2010, or at least come close to it. If Chamberlain can repeat everything from 2010, while lowering his ERA, he and Robertson will make up a formidable set-up combination. They won’t have to bear the load alone. And, while both Joba and D-Rob can pitch well enough against lefties, they will be helped by lefty specialists Boone Logan and Pedro Feliciano. The four of those pitchers can make up a solid bridge to Mowhere.

That doesn’t mean, though, that the Yankees shouldn’t at least think about adding another reliever. I’ve argued for Brian Fuentes, but he wants to close and may want a relatively long term deal. Jon Rauch is also a possibility , but there’s been no market on him, so we have no idea what it will take to get him. I think Rauch could come relatively cheaply and he would be a welcomed addition.

What roles we may not be sure of are the non-late inning roles. The long relief role seems absolutely wide open. It could be someone out of the organization right now; it could be Sergio Mitre; it could be Ivan Nova. IT COULD BE MARK PRIOR! (No, no it couldn’t. Sigh.) Like it usually is, I think this role–along with the non-Mo/Joba/Robertson/Feliciano/Logan roles–will be rather fluid, like it tends to be each and every year.

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Discussion: Internal or External?

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 11:00 am 14 Responses »
Dec 172010

Yesterday, the Yankees lost out on two bullpen options: Kerry Wood–who signed a “sweetheart” deal with the Cubs–and Bobby Jenks, who signed with the Red Sox for two years. Apparently, the former turned down a more lucrative deal from the White Sox, so it seems like his heart was set on going back to the Cubs. As for the latter, going to the Sox is definitely better for him. It’s a lot more likely that he could take over for Jonathan Papelbon than for Mariano Rivera. I can’t blame Jenks for going to Boston.

This leaves one big relief pitching free agent left: Rafael Soriano. We heard yesterday that the Yankees were in then not in on the former Rays reliever. In terms of talent and results, Soriano is definitely the best choice. Of course, he’ll come at a hefty price. He’s a closer and will want closer money. Obviously, the chances of him closing for the Yankees are very tiny.

Aside from money, there’s the draft pick compensation. Soriano is a type-A free agent, so signing him means forfeiting a draft pick in 2011. This draft is, apparently, very deep, and Brian Cashman has gone on record before saying that the Yankees do not want to give up draft picks for the sake of signing a reliever. This is a policy I agree with it. I could get behind signing Soriano if he (somehow) takes a cheap deal, but I wouldn’t even think of holding my breath on that one.

Internally, I think the Yankees are set for the “8th inning” role. Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson (with the occasional Boone Logan appearance thrown in for good measure) should be able to handle the ever important (yes, this is dripping with sarcasm) set up role. All three are cheap and the latter two have the potential to be closers one day.

My preference is for the Yankees to roll with Joba and D-Rob, since they’re much cheaper than any external option and the step down would not be all that big from a big name reliever.

What do you guys think? Should the Yankees get back onto the Soriano Train or should they roll with what they’ve got in the ‘pen already?

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Pitching Frustrations in Last Night's Game

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 11:00 am 3 Responses »
Sep 302010

During last night’s game, I found myself rather frustrated by the Yankees’ pitchers.

Javier Vazquez’s performance–which could be his last innings as a Yankee–was the cherry on top of the disappointment sundae that has been 2010 for Mr. Vazquez. He was one out away from giving up just four runs in 4.2 innings, but a hanging curveball to Aaron Hill changed that. I was sad for Javy that he gave up that blast, but there was a bit of anger in me. Granted, that anger had little to do with Vazquez and everything to do with the hitter: I have an irrational hatred for Aaron Hill. I don’t know why; I don’t know where it comes from…I just hate the dude.

Encouragingly enough, Javy did manage to get six swings-and-misses last night, but that’s just looking on the super bright side. As I’ve said many times, it’s just sad, and borderline painful, to see the 2010 version of Javier Vazquez. Many will stand up and say, “See? I knew he couldn’t pitch in New York!” but that’s ridiculous. Javy lost the zip on his fastball and the bite on his breaking pitches. Because of that, his changeup was ineffective. No matter what league, no matter what city, Vazquez likely would’ve struggled this year. Diminished stuff, not physical location, is what killed Javy.

Most of my frustration about the pitching, though, came from after the exit of Vazquez.

Even after the Yankees made it 7-3, this game was most likely not winnable and not high leveraged. Look at the WPA graph; the Yankees were never really in this game. Why, then, were David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain allowed to pitch? Robertson has had back spasms and should not be pitching in this low leverage a situation. Obviously, he needs to stay sharp, but I think resting him before an off day may’ve been a better choice.

Joba just threw the other night against the Red Sox and I think he, too, could’ve used another day before an off day.

I’m not really sure what Joe Girardi was thinking by throwing those two in this essentially meaningless game. I could see them pitching if the Yankees had a slim lead or even a slim deficit, but to throw these guys when the team is down four in a throw away game is maddening. I’m usually very supportive of Girardi and what not, but I’ve got to question these moves.

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Let's Talk about David Robertson

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 11:00 am 1 Response »
Sep 272010

Last night, David Robertson came into the game with two on and none out in the top of the seventh. He allowed neither inherited runner to score. After a sac bunt, he got a hard grounder from Bill Hall that didn’t get through a drawn in infield. After that, he did his normal D-Rob thing and struck Lars Anderson out with a low curveball. I want the Yankees–or the Player’s Union, whoever is in charge of this–to make a shirt with Dave’s face on it that says “Chicks Dig the Curveball.” If there was a mention of the high socks, that’d be cool too. Let’s look at the season for Robertson.

April was bad for Robertson. He gave up 10 hits in 5 innings (though he struck out 8 and walked just 1). His month was essentially ruined by two outings–0.1 IP, 4 R vs the Angels on the 13th and 0.1 IP, 2 R vs the Orioles on the 27th.

Since then, Robertson’s been very good. His ERA has been 3.11 in that time frame and he’s struck out 59 batters in 52.1 IP (10.19 per nine). The .342 OBPA is a bit high (5.00 BB/9) but the strikeouts help offset that. He’s also allowed just four homers from May on; he gave up just one in April so he’s done a fantastic job of keeping the ball in the park all season.

What’s been best about Robertson’s performance this year is that it’s been in mostly tough situations. Per Baseball-Reference, Robertson’s Average Leverage Index–1.0 is average, higher is more pressure, lower is less–was 1.25 this season. That’s second on the team to Mariano Rivera’s 2.06.

What we’ve seen from Robertson this year is incredibly important. Despite the walks, he’s proved himself adept at keeping runners from crossing the plate for the majority of the season. If a pitcher is going to walk a lot of batters there are a few things he must do: not allow a lot of hits, not allow a lot of homers, and strikeout a lot of batters. Robertson has been okay with the hits part–8.8 H/9 is okay, not great–but he’s been fantastic with keeping the ball in the park (0.8 HR/9) and striking batters out (10.5 K/9). What’s best about this performance is that he’s cheap.

David is under team control and isn’t arbitration eligible until 2012. A young, cheap reliever is something that can be incredibly cost-effective. Robertson should be next year’s primary “set up” man unless Kerry Wood takes a big time pay cut (which I wouldn’t mind one bit). If he can do so cheaply and effectively, I will love David Robertson and his high socks even more than he already does. Get him a seat next to Rivera in the bullpen, let him learn some control, and you could be looking at the Yankees’ post-Mariano closer. Robertson and his dynamite two pitch combo, abundance of strikeouts, and lack of home runs allowed should fill in admirably.

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The Four Horsemen of the Apoca-pen

Posted by Stephen R. at 1:00 pm 12 Responses »
Sep 092010

4 horsemen

Much has been made recently of the relative struggles of the Yankee pitching staff.  Sure, it’s nothing in comparison to what Texas is going through, but the Yankees are still waiting on Andy Pettitte to return from injury, for one of AJ Burnett or Javier Vazquez to find some semblance of form and earn the fourth spot in the rotation in the playoffs, and for Phil Hughes to right himself after recent struggles.  Additionally, both Damaso Marte and Alfredo Aceves are out for the year.  On the offensive side, the club is also battling through injuries.  Nick Swisher has a noticeable limp and a deep bone bruise in his knee, Austin Kearns has a bruised hand, Jorge Posada has concussion symptoms (but has been cleared to play, thankfully), and Francisco Cervelli has been diagnosed with an awful case of not being a very good baseball player and deserving to be demoted or at least rarely get playing time.

Yet perhaps lost in the shuffle is the excellence of the Yankee bullpen, a bullpen which is shaping up to be a formidable weapon in October.  With the acquisition of Kerry Wood, the Yankees now have four very solid pitchers able to close out games, not counting Mariano Rivera. Since the All-Star Break, here are their numbers:

Boone Logan, LHP: 16 innings, 0.55 ERA, 10 hits, 4 walks, 19 strikeouts.

Joba Chamberlain, RHP, 23.2 innings, 4.18 ERA, 22 hits, 7 walks, 22 strikeouts.

David Robertson, RHP, 21 innings, 1.25 ERA, 13 hits, 11 walks, 30 strikeouts.

Kerry Wood, RHP (since coming to the Yankees on 7/31): 16 innings, 0.54 ERA (1 earned run), 10 hits, 10 walks, 20 Ks.

Of these four, Yankee fans can be most happy about Boone Logan and Kerry Wood.  Both came to the team with huge question marks.  Logan throws hard but struggles with command.  Wood has been an incredibly successful pitcher at times, but can’t stay healthy.  Yet both have performed about as well as anyone could have anticipated.

As a result, the Yankees have four legitimate set-up options for Joe Girardi to play with in the playoffs.  Better yet, there is currently no predetermined setup man.  This means that each reliever can be utilized as the situation demands, and that higher leverage situations will be handled by the appropriate reliever. There are some obvious usage patterns that have developed thus far, though. Logan’s primary purpose is to retire left-handed batters, and he’s performed superbly, holding them to a .188/.278/.219 line. Girardi also seems to prefer using Robertson when there are runners on base, possibly because Robertson’s ability to get strikeouts is so incredible (10.91 K/9 in 2010).  Additionally, he seems to trust Wood more than Chamberlain at this point.  However, this hasn’t meant that Chamberlain has been relegated permanently to the 7th inning, and Wood to the 8th.  Instead, he seems free to bring in Wood in higher leverage spots, whether it be the seventh or the eighth.  Often times, he will let Wood pitch the 8th as well, or go to Chamberlain for lower-leverage spots.  It could just be a small sample, but it does appear that Girardi favors Wood in the higher leverage spots, regardless of inning.  This is how a bullpen should be managed.

Despite the loss of Marte and Aceves and the relative struggle of the early-season 8th inning man, Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees’ bullpen is in a good position headed into the playoffs.  They have four relievers peaking at the right time, and it will enable Girardi to have a shorter leash with some of the more unstable starters.  It’s almost frightening, actually, like handing a 16 year old the keys to a Porsche and telling him to keep it under 90 mph.  Girardi has the tendency to play the matchups in the bullpen, and sometimes it blows up in his face.  But it’s a good problem to have, really, and it could prove to be one of the Yankees’ strongest weapons this playoff season.  And I haven’t even mentioned the Greatest of All Time, #42.

For the record, yes, I did try to make the title as obnoxiously over-the-top as possible.  Feel free to use it and turn it into a meme.  Also, the Photoshop is courtesy of me.

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Robertson and Logan Have Rebounded Nicely

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 3:00 pm 2 Responses »
Aug 112010

Both Boone Logan and David Robertson got off to rocky starts with the Yankees in 2010.

Logan couldn’t find the strikezone before being sent down to Scranton. Robertson couldn’t get anyone out. All of this now seems like it happened a long time ago.

I’ve already dicussed Boone Logan’s resurgence and he did pitch 1/3 of an inning in last night’s loss, striking out Josh Hamilton. As for Robertson, the season outside of April has been very good.

The walks, now 23 in 35.3 IP, are a little high, but that comes with the territory with Robertson. He’s balanced it well with 40 strikeouts in that frame and a super low .080 IsoP against. Repeating myself a bit here: the ~.345 OBPA is not great, but the ~.310 SLGA is fantastic. The best thing a pitcher can do is not allow walks, strike guys out, and keep the ball in the park. Robertson does two of those three things very well (10.2 K/9; 0.51 HR/9 since May) and you’ll take that from a reliever every single time.

I’ve always been really high on Robertson, so it’s great to see him succeed for an extended period of time. His massive strikeout numbers and his awesome two pitch combination–a sneaky fastball and a swoon-inducing curve–make for a great reliever. If he can get the walks under control, I think D-Rob could be a closer/relief ace.

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My Brief Take on the Eighth Inning

Posted by Matt Imbrogno at 11:00 am 3 Responses »
Jul 282010

Alright, so it appears that Joba Chamberlain has lost the ever important eighth inning role. Frankly, it’s about time…but not for the reasons you’d think.

Obviously, Chamberlain hasn’t performed well as of late and taking him out of high leverage situations is a good idea. Until he proves different, Joba shouldn’t be used in high leverage situations. David Robertson is, apparently, getting a shot as the set up guy. I’ve always been a big fan of Robertson and I hope he flourishes in this role. However, I’d be just as fine if he didn’t get an extended shot. But, then again, I don’t know if Joba should keep getting the ball handed to him, Damaso Marte is hurt, and while Boone Logan is pitching well, I think we’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop. Trading for bullpen help is always a risky proposition and the only reliable piece–Joakim Soria–seems to cost way too much.

So, what should Joe Girardi do? The first thing he should do is not announce anyone as the eighth inning guy. There doesn’t need to be a special pitcher to do this since most middle relievers are volatile and just because a guy is named the eighth inning guy doesn’t mean he will escape this fate; Joba is an easy example of this.

Girardi needs to do something that seems rather intuitive and something he’s seemed to be good at lately: he needs to just play the hot hand. If that’s D-Rob, go with D-Rob. If it’s Joba, go with Joba. Hell, if it’s somehow Chan Ho Park, go with CHoP. If you have to mix and match with some of those guys and Boone Logan, do it. If it means using Mo for a greater than three out save every so often, do it. The role of the eighth inning is so incredibly overrated and if the Yankees can simply avoid falling into the silly cliche of having a defined set-up guy, they could gain a little bullpen success and save us all a giant headache.

Perhaps that’s what’s wrong with bullpen usage in today’s game. While I guess we can say the pitchers like having “defined roles”, current bullpen usage is relatively inefficient. Maybe if the Yankees can un-anoint the eighth inning, a little ball will get rolling (I seriously doubt this, but a guy can dream, right?).

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Remaking the Yankee bullpen

Posted by Steve S. at 6:00 am 20 Responses »
Jul 192010

Can Robertson emerge from the darkness to save the bullpen?

If there’s one area of concern on the 2010 Yankees it’s been the bullpen, despite yesterday’s fine effort. More specifically, the problem has been the bridge to Mariano Rivera, who at age 40 is remarkably having one of his best seasons. I’ll go through the issues one by one and then propose some changes, all internal and none of which involve a trade. I’m not big on giving up talent for relievers due to their volatile nature and the learning curve involved with how to use them. Might as well just go with internal options that you are more familiar with and see if they can do the job.

-Joba Chamberlain has been put on notice by Joe Girardi, but unless he starts dominating (ala  Joba 07) it’s hard to imagine him being able to doing anything to regain the trust of fans and his manager. We all know his peripherals have been good, but he’s been far too combustible in his current role. You can’t bring Mo in for 6 out Saves on nights when Joba doesn’t have it, so it’s best to either bury him in the bullpen or send him to AAA. I prefer the latter. There has long been whispers about Joba needing a wake up call, riding the buses in Scranton would certainly be that.

-Damaso Marte was placed on DL with a shoulder strain on Saturday, and Boone Logan was called up. Does that injury sound familiar? Yep, he had what was described as a mild shoulder strain in his first year with the Yankees, then again last year when he spent m0st of the season on the DL. It’s anyone’s guess how serious it is this time, but all we can say for certain that it is a recurring issue for him. Yanks are saying 2-3 weeks, don’t hold your breath.

-David Robertson is being discussed taking over Joba’s role as the primary setup man. While his overall numbers don’t look great, he’s been reliable since his ERA peaked at an ugly 14.21 early in the season. Since May 5th, over his last 22 outings he’s had a 2.70 ERA and has  SO 27 batters in 24.1 IP. Walks have been high, with 15 BB over that same time frame. But he’s always walked batters, it’s part of who he is. That doesn’t preclude him from being effective.

-Sergio Mitre is due to be activated from the DL, and is expected to join the team on Tuesday for the Angels series. I have to assume he takes Pettitte’s place and slots into his spot in the rotation with Andy on the shelf for 2-3 weeks minimum.

-Andy’s injury probably saved Chad Gaudin’s spot on the roster, who was one of the most likely candidates to be released when Mitre was activated. Chad has done little in his second go round with the Yanks, posting a 6.52 ERA this year. But looking at Gaudin’s game log he’s been better of late,  giving up just 4 ER over his last 13.1 IP. Despite this, I think the Yanks will want to give Dustin Moseley more of a chance and Gaudin remains the one on thin ice. Moseley has only pitched 6.0 innings for the team this year and could be useful as a Ramiro Mendoza-type who can either get you a ground ball or give you a few innings.

Now that we’ve laid it all out, I would do the following to remake the current bullpen:

-Release Chad Gaudin when Pettitte returns

-Release Chan Ho Park, call up Jon Albaladejo to take his place.

-Demote Joba to AAA call up Ivan Nova

The beauty of this is that the guys you’re calling up can’t be much worse than Park, Gaudin, or (in all honesty) Joba have been this year. If any of them pitches to an ERA below 6.00, it’s an upgrade. Of these 3 items, I fully expect the first two to happen. Demoting Joba would take some guts, and the Yanks may be swayed by his peripherals enough to stick with him. Assuming Joba pitches well in Scranton, he would be recalled when their season ends in early September (if not sooner) and could still contribute to the MLB club this year.

The Yankee bullpen would then be as follows:

Mariano Rivera (Closer)

David Robertson (Set up)

Damaso Marte/Boone Logan (LOOGY)

Sergio Mitre

Jon Albaladejo

Ivan Nova

Dustin Moseley (long man)

What do you think? What moves would you like to see the Yanks make?

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Its Time To Make Those Tough Bullpen Decisions

Posted by EJ Fagan at 9:00 am 15 Responses »
May 182010

The banged-up Yankee roster had to resort to using Javier Vazquez as a long reliever last night. I actually give Joe Girardi a lot of credit for foresight – he skipped Javier in the rotation in part to take a start away from his worst starting pitcher, but also in part to allow the team to use their 5th starter as a long man while Sergio Mitre recovered from his spot start. However, he appeared only after the Yankee bullpen blew yet another lead. After Mariano Rivera, Joba Chamberlain, Alfredo Aceves, and Sergio Mitre, the Yankee bullpen has been a disaster this season.

I definitely expected the group of David Robertson, Alfredo Aceves, Chan Ho Park, Damaso Marte, and Joba Chamberlain to be an effective bridge to Mariano Rivera. Instead, they have been a glaring weakness on an overall strong team. With injuries to key players, including the effective Aceves, the Yankees can’t afford to let their bullpen plod along all season in the middle innings. They have replacement options, and would be stupid not to use them.

Boone Logan has been a complete and utter failure this season. Joe Girardi’s desire to have a second left-handed pitcher for strategic purposes has led him to hold on to a player that should never have been, and should never be, a part of a major league contending team’s bullpen. He has proven time and again to be a terrible pitcher who is incapable of getting hitters out. Left-handed batters are getting on base 50% of the time this season against him. Boone Logan should be immediately optioned down, or outright released, and replaced by a member of the Yankee Triple-A bullpen.

Who should replace Logan? Mark Melancon. Melancon has never been given any kind of extended shot at a regular major league role, despite great stuff and plenty of Triple-A success. Melancon’s line this season? 15 appearances, 23 innings, 12.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 2.74 ERA. He no longer belongs at that level, and should already be in the majors. The Yankees have been reluctant to promote Melancon permanently for whatever reason, and it has cost them.

Furthermore, the Yankees should temporarily start changing the roles of Sergio Mitre and Chan Ho Park. I’m willing to give CHoP a pass for tonight after coming off the DL, but overall he has yet to prove he can consistently pitch at a high level. He has however proven that he can provide the Yankees innings, which sets him up perfectly for the long relief role. Sergio Mitre is one of the few Yankee relievers actually getting hitters out right now, and should be used in shorter, higher-leverage situations until Alfredo Aceves returns, he starts to pitch poorly, or CHoP proves himself able to pitch well.

Sergio Mitre needs to be pushed into a short relief role because David Robertson can’t seem to handle it this season. He seems to have lost some of his magic, and has proven easily hittable. His walk rate has skyrocketed, and his pitch counts have gone up with it. Something is seriously wrong with Robertson, but he keeps being pushed into important situations out of necessity. Robertson needs to get himself straightened out, but right now the Yankee roster situation doesn’t allow the team to carry a project. If one of Melancon, CHoP, or Robertson himself doesn’t settle in to an effective setup role in the next week or two, the Yankees need to let Robertson get straightened out where he is supposed to get straightened out: Scranton.

Who should replace Robertson? Jon Albaladejo. Albaladejo has the quietest 1.49 career ERA at Triple-A ever. He has absolutely dominated the level, and continues to do so this year. In 18 1/3 innings, he has 21 strikeouts and 7 walks. This is after posting a year after posting a 0.8 BB/9 for Scranton. I’ve always been a huge Robertson fan, and continue to be confident in his future, but it is ridiculous to allow one guy to blow games in the majors while you have a young prospect dominating Triple-A like Albaladejo is. All it costs is an option.

Joe Girardi is so much better than Joe Torre that I almost feel guilty complaining about the decisions he makes with his bullpen. I really hate to think about how beat up Alfredo Aceves’ arm would be if Torre was still manager. But his use of Boone Logan and David Robertson this season in key situations has been borderline inexcusable. With the Yankees chasing what seems like an unbeatable Rays team, he can’t afford to keep making the same dumb decisions. The Yankees need to use the options that they have.

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