There was some speculation yesterday that new Yankee pitcher Michael Pineda may start the season as high as AAA in 2012. Today, Brian Cashman put those rumors to rest.
“We have a lot invested in him (Pineda), we have to take things slowly. Pineda has to prove himself just like ever pitcher out here has to prove themselves, no exceptions. The plan is to have him pitching in Staten Island and we’ll see what happens from there. Unlike the West, the AL East is the hardest division in baseball, and we feel that he has some maturing to do.” †
Michael Pineda is looking to earn a rotation spot for the Staten Island Yankees this year.
The recent trade that sent top hitting prospect Jesus Montero to Seattle brought one of the AL West’s brightest pitchers to the Bronx. The biggest issue the Yankees foresaw with Michael Pineda, of course, is dealing with the transition between two divisions. Though Pineda enjoyed a season of success in the AL West, it was a mystery to fans where the Yankee front office thought the competition level matched up. While some believed that the International League would best suit the big righty, some optimistic fans had him penciled into the major league rotation.
After showing up to camp in February at a monumental 10 pounds overweight, the plan to put Pineda on a mound in the Bronx began to show its initial holes. It wasn’t until his debut start in early March that we saw the nail in the coffin, he had lost velocity. Pineda, who average 94.7 mph on his fastball last year, was only throwing in the low 90’s. The gargantuan drop in velocity and weight gain has prompted the organization to enroll veteran pitchers CC Sabathia and Freddy Garcia as mentors to Pineda. The idea, of course, is to stress the importance of nutrition and velocity to the youngster. Following a year where an obese Phil Hughes saw a similar velocity drop, the Yankees don’t want to see Pineda follow up with a similar season.
Pineda will join a strong group of young prospects in Low-A Staten Island this season, though manager Justin Pope has stated that Michael Pineda is not a lock for the rotation yet.
†This may or may not be an actual Brian Cashman quote.
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14 Responses to Pineda to Start Season in Staten Island
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TIQ IQ
My calendar says it’s March 15, not April 1.
I smiled when I read the title. Haha
Third start of spring training people relax. As long as that change develops I’m not too worried.
This is a strange article and the comments don’t help….is this a goof? Was that a real Cashman quote? Is it a joke? Sarcasm? It’s over my head, I don’t get it.
Haha, Michael, the post’s title had me doing a double take…
Wow. I really had a rough few minutes there.
I didn’t know TYA had a “Whimsy” section.
I’m shocked, shocked that the Yankees will not be holding Pineda over for extended spring training and assigning him to the GCL affiliate! You can’t just jump a guy all the way to Staten Island before he’s ready. And yes, he should have to compete for that spot in the SI rotation. For all we know he’ll turn out to be a 7th inning specialist.
What’s the point of this article? I don’t visit TYA for satire.
Seconded.
Cry more.
TYA is serious business.
If we’re going to be all serious all the time, the point of this article is to show the absurdity of certain Yankee scribes who have written that the Yanks might just start Pineda in AAA, along with those who have obsessed endlessly over his weight and “ve-lo.” So while some might believe a serious breakdown of those articles’ faults might be more appropriate for this site, one could argue that the best way to expose ridiculousness is through satire. Ipso facto, Caesar salad.
let them say what they will, but Pineda WILL be not only a lock for the rotation in Staten Island but almost certainly one of the top three.
I never thought TYA would stoop to base an article on something ESPN wrote. You’ve lost serious credibility on this one.