Here’s the scoop from Pete Abe: Joba and the Yankees have sat down and mapped out six more starts for the rest of the regular season. As has been previously reported, the gloves will apparently be off for the playoffs. Young Mr. Chamberlain has hurled 126+ innings so far this year, averaging about 6 per, so 6 more games would put him at 162ish, an increase of about 60 over his previous high of 100 last year. This would be roughly double the “Verducci effect” limit of 30 innings.
Though the Verducci effect is not scientific, and there are many other factors which affect the phenomenon, it is akin to playing with fire, especially when you add the playoff innings onto the already high regular season totals. The Yankees seem to be trying to walk the tightrope between the two options: not shutting him down at his limit, yet not pitching him on regular rest, either. Only time will tell whether this middle road strategy will bear fruit. Joba seems pleased with the plan, stating that, “It gives my arm the rest that this whole thing is for, so it all worked out great… Mentally, for me to know that this is the plan for the rest of the year, it’s definitely calming.”
You have to also wonder whether this plan will wind up burning the bullpen, with Gaudin, Mitre, and a limited Joba all requiring significant innings of relief. The other options of shutting Joba down and starting Hughes or Aceves in his stead or switching him to the pen are not all that appealing, either, so it’s not like there’s a clearly superior alternative. Sometimes you have to take precautions but also roll the dice and hope the guy holds up and that seems to be what the Yanks are doing in this case.
What do you guys think of the news? Do you like the “middle path” the Yanks seem to be taking with Joba?
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5 Responses to Joba Will Get 6 More Starts
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It seems to make a lot of sense. In a week and a half the team will have plenty of surplus arms with roster expansion so I wouldn’t worry too much about the bullpen. Maybe if the lead stays comfortable for the next two weeks the team will think about stretching out Hughes a little to give them another option out of the 4 spot in case of injury. With Ramirez, Dunn, Albie and Melancon they should have plenty of guys to pick up innings and Girardi does know how to spread out work and take advantage of leads to keep the bullpen fresh.
Good point re: the roster expansion, Ed, though all those guys (except for Melancon, perhaps) failed to some extent earlier in the season. Jow did an awesome job last year in using the extra guys down the stretch, so maybe he can work his magic again. I’m kind of interested in Humberto – his recent numbers are good, though I haven’t seen any radar gun stats. He always had back of the bullpen stuff before his surgery.
Did Humberto work his way back up to triple A? Last I heard he had been released and then re-signed to Trenton…
HE makes 29 starts so I don’t see anything wrong with what they are doing, taking care of an asset of the future but allowing him to help you win now. My only problem with it was I think skipping days off here and there hurt his preparations for the game and thus affect his performance, now with that said maybe it will toughen him up and allow him to learn how to deal with difficulties earlier, heck the bugs on the neck seem to have made him a little more focused in Cleavland this year.