The New York Yankees have encountered some tough curveballs lately. The pun was kind of intended but it doesn't take away from the fact that the Yanks have had a lot of guys hit the DL this year. And now with the playoffs approaching and a neck-and-neck race in the AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays, the disabled list has been as packed as a Friday night rave.
Alex Rodriguez, one of the best 3rd basemen offensively and defensively, went on the DL again. Lance Berkman tripped his way onto the shelf after New York just traded for him. Andy Pettitte is still trying to come back from the pulled groin injury. Despite a great game last night, Mark Teixeira has a sore thumb that has kept him out for a little bit. And Jorge Posada's right leg continues to take a beating after he got beaned yesterday.
Couple the injuries with the underachieving players going down the stretch -- Phil Hughes, AJ Burnett, Francisco Cervelli, Brett Gardner -- and you have a hairy situation. And I mean like Richard-Karn-hairy.
Luckily, the Yankees have had an array of bench players fill-in incredibly for various positions. And with the starters set to come back soon, what's a manager to do?
Starting pitcher: Andy Pettitte threw a couple of bullpen sessions recently. In his first one, he struggled; presumably indicating another setback. In the second session, Andy said he felt 90% ready to return to the field. It's a given that when he comes back, he'll have a spot in the rotation. Pettitte has a phenominal track record, he had an All-Star first half and, well... he's a starting pitcher.
So who gets the hook? Is it AJ Burnett who just had an awful month of August? Joe Girardi already hinted at AJ losing his spot. Is it Dustin Moseley who has done what's expected of him as a fill-in 5th starter? The thing with him is he has a lower ceiling than any other starter. He's not going into the 7th or 8th inning too often. Or it could be Phil Hughes, who's approaching his innings limit soon?
Right off the bat, I'm thinking it's Hughes. The Yankees seem very committed to his limit and Hughes was a team MVP candidate as a reliever last season.
Starting Pitcher again: Ivan Nova has been crazy good. The Dominican Bear has shown signs of being a good starter for years. He's got a quick fastball and a wicked breaking ball. When he struck out Mark Teahan in his last start, that pitch blew my mind. So does he displace AJ Burnett or Dustin Moseley? Maybe.
For the playoffs, I know you want to go with veterans who have good reputations in tough spots. But with the Rays not going away, Joe Girardi might want ride the hot hand. Before I make a solid decision, I want to see a few more starts from Nova. I want to see him be allowed to go past 5+ innings. But right now, I'm expecting him to make Girardi's decision extremely hard.
Designated Hitter: Marcus Thames has had his way with opposing pitchers for the past week. The Roaring Lion has hit 6 homers in his last 6 games starting in place of Stinky Lance Berkman. Berkman, when he went down, was hitting under .200 for the Yankees. In addition to being a liability at the plate, he made some bad plays at 1st base as well. And while defensive shortcomings are nothing new to Thames, he's making up for any past follies with his hitting right now.
The verdict on this is simple but very painful to me. Thames gets the nod at DH going forward, but it leaves a lot to be desired from Berkman. He'll hit the bench and probably stay there like Nick Johnson. Which is why his nickname is now "Stinky." But something tells me Girardi will waste some games by sitting Thames and trying to validate the move to get Berkman.
Third Base: Before I write a nice paragraph on third base, I'll just say that the Al-Pal is coming back. He will be the third baseman. There's no argument and the reasons are obvious.
That being said, Eduardo Nunez has played some solid-ass baseball in Alex's absence. Ed is hitting .286 with a homer and 7 RBIs in 11 games. His defense is good and he's got some speed on the bases. He's so good that Ramiro Pena has lost his place as the backup at 2B, 3B and SS. I like Pena a lot, but Nunez's skills have caught a lot of eyes. Mark Feinsand wrote on Twitter than Mr. Nunez would eventually push A-Rod to DH, which I would anticipate being in 2012.
Long story short, expect to see more Eduardo Nunez in Girardi's substitutions. Sorry, Ramiro.
Catcher: Jorge Posada is declining fast. His legs are shot, he can't stay healthy and the bat hasn't been the same. His heir Francisco Cervelli has struggled lately. He's hit two extra base hits in 3 months and he dropped a pop up that cost New York a game. As any playoff team does, the Yanks will bring in a third catcher when the rosters expand. So will it be the veteran Chad Moeller or the phenom Jesus Montero?
Montero has come on of late, after struggling to begin the season. He's batting .284 with 16 homers and an .851OBP. But the Yankees may not want to bring the 20-year old up too fast.
I'm all for bringing up new players, but to have this guy on a playoff roster is scary. It's boom or bust. He can either continue his hot hitting or he can slip back down while trying to adjust to major league pitching. Also, his defense has always been a concern. As tough as it is to say, Chad Moeller is my pick to come up and help out. He's not going to give any more offense, but at least you can be confident in him as a late-game sub at catcher. Next year, Jesus...
--Max Caster
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