Peter Abraham has the news, reporting that Pena is up for Claggett. This gives the Yankees incredible flexibility on the bench, with Jerry Hairston Jr. and Pena both being able to play multiple positions adequately. When Brett Gardner returns, I would expect that Pena be sent back down.
In regard to the pitching staff, Chad Gaudin will join the club on Sunday, and one of Mark Melancon and David Robertson is likely to go down to Scranton. I think the Yankees have seemed intent on keeping Melancon with the big club, and he will stay. However, whichever of the two the Yankees choose to send down may not be gone for long. If Gaudin takes Sergio Mitre’s rotation spot, we may see Mitre jettisoned in favor of the previously discarded reliever. It should be interesting to keep an eye on.
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11 Responses to Pena Called Up, Claggett Sent Down
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I like Melancon and think he deserves to stay on the big league club but after Robertson’s last few performances he has done nothing to lose his roster spot, really he has only gotten better with the more chances he has to take the ball. I hope that whichever one gets sent down has the opportunity to make it back on the roster before to long with Mitre going, but if Mitre does go who then takes Joba’s spot in the rotation if that is truly what they plan on doing? Going to be some tough decisions for Cashman and Girardi in the coming weeks.
Brian Cashman just said on radio 1050 that Joba will remain a starter “for the rest of the way” so it looks like he won’t be headed to the pen and the plan maybe just to skip some of his starts all together which would mean that Mitre and Gaudin would be 5th and 6th starters for the team and maybe it would allow Joba to even start some games in the opening round of the playoffs.
I think the plan is to have him available to start in the playoffs. That is why they are not moving him to the bullpen- they need 4 starters in the playoffs, and he needs to be one of them.
You know I just said that right? “maybe it would allow Joba to even start some games in the opening round of the playoffs.” I was just posting that someone actually admitted in the Yankee organization that he wasn’t going to the pen. I personally think it’s better than going back and forth between the pen and rotation every half a year.
Oh, yeah. It was just that you said maybe it would allow it, and I think it is more than maybe. I think the whole purpose of the plan is so that he pitches in October from the rotation.
Yeah it makes sense but I don’t want to put a definite on something like that because they could get close to the playoffs and Joba’s is pitching like crap and decide to change the plan, you know?
Moshe would the Yankees DFA Bruney? He is really buried in the pen and it does not look like he is going to get another chance this year imo.
I was thinking the same thing, but I get the feeling that they are not quite ready to give up on him yet.
Moshe I think Chad Gaudin is going to the pen to become a match up right handed reliever out of the pen. His K rate against right handed batters is amazing. He is also team controllable next season to boot. Mitre is fine as the fifth starter for the time being imo. How many fifth starter starts are needed between now and September 3/4? Once September comes with the expanded roster Mitre along with a much larger pen should easily handle the fifth starter role. This could also allow Aceves to piggyback the rest of Joba’s starts to reduce his innings.
I like both Mitre and Gaudin going into 2010 as well out of the pen. If Melancon and Robertson continue to improve the Yankees could have a pen of Mo, Melancon, Robertson, and Gaudin from the right side and Coke and Marte from the left side with Mitre becoming the long man.
So is there really a role for Bruney going forward? I don’t see one imo. Can the Yankees get something for Bruney?
The Yankees would be lucky to get a minor league pitcher with even a little upside. The way Cashman was talking today Mo makes me think he may put a claim in on Smoltz because it sounded like he thought all that was really wrong was that he needed some work on his overall pitching game.
He’s the next relief pitcher who would be DFA’d if it happens but I don’t see them doing it unless they run out of options because he still has stuff and he has proven when he has control and doesn’t get injured he is a capable 7th inning guy.