The Bullpen

[Derek Jeter]

Yeah i agree, back to the bullpen. There are plenty of FA relievers on the market. Any ideas on who we should get?

[cmaff05]

I just love how people say that Farnsworth isn't consistent.. and then turn a blank eye towards Proctor and Bruney's career.

[DoubleX]

At this point, I don't see much of a need for the Yankees to go out and spend a ton of money on another setup guy like Farnsworth. I think the bullpen is just about set for next year as is. The team now has a pretty good assortment of options in the bullpen, and a number of young guys. Off the top of my head, we've got:

Mariano Rivera
Kyle Farnsworth
Scott Proctor
Brian Bruney
Chris Britton
Mike Myers
JB Cox
Jose Veras
TJ Beam
Darrell Rasner
Jeff Karstens
Humberto Sanchez

Another lefty would be good and the team might bring back Ron Villone. I have no problem with that, just hope that Torre doesn't kill him again.

The team also still has Tanyon Sturtze. If he's healthy, you know Torre will probably and unfortunately give him every opportunity to make the team.

[Waitinfor27]

At this point, I don't see much of a need for the Yankees to go out and spend a ton of money on another setup guy like Farnsworth. I think the bullpen is just about set for next year as is. The team now has a pretty good assortment of options in the bullpen, and a number of young guys. Off the top of my head, we've got:

Mariano Rivera
Kyle Farnsworth
Scott Proctor
Brian Bruney
Chris Britton
Mike Myers
JB Cox
Jose Veras
TJ Beam
Darrell Rasner
Jeff Karstens
Humberto Sanchez

Another lefty would be good and the team might bring back Ron Villone. I have no problem with that, just hope that Torre doesn't kill him again.

The team also still has Tanyon Sturtze. If he's healthy, you know Torre will probably and unfortunately give him every opportunity to make the team.

Excellent list DoubleX, although I think it's safe to say that Proctor, Farnsworth (too much dough on him) and Bruney (if he performs like he did last year) have set-up locked up. Myers is the King of All LOOGYs, but from there, I don't know. I think Cox will be a huge arm in the future, and hope he closes with the Barons this year, with Hughes as the ace (see my sig), but not this year. Other than that, it's wide open. Thoughts?

[JordanDL3891]

I think bruney should get the set-up roll. I wouldn't give it to farnsworth, he isn't consistant. What aout keeping Dotel and see if he turns around this offseason? he was out for a while remember, he needs time. I wouldn't give the roll to proctor, he's good, but i'd be afraid to put him in the set-up roll. I think we should go get someone else that would be relible to set up.

[Mariano_Rivera]

Excellent list DoubleX, although I think it's safe to say that Proctor, Farnsworth (too much dough on him) and Bruney (if he performs like he did last year) have set-up locked up. Myers is the King of All LOOGYs, but from there, I don't know. I think Cox will be a huge arm in the future, and hope he closes with the Barons this year, with Hughes as the ace (see my sig), but not this year. Other than that, it's wide open. Thoughts?

I think you're forgetting about another guy that has a spot locked up ;)

#42

Britton looks like he has a spot to. I would like Sanchez to get a spot as the LM/SSP as well.

[CoachZee]

I think you're forgetting about another guy that has a spot locked up ;)

#42

Britton looks like he has a spot to. I would like Sanchez to get a spot as the LM/SSP as well.

They are going to want to give some of the young guys more seasoning in Scranton. If they see Sanchez as a part of a future rotation they are probably going to have him start in Scranton rather than sitting around the bullpen. If they need a spot starter they'll call him up when needed. Cashman probably doesn't expect all the young guys to come through this year and is setting up the farm clubs to keep feeding the Yanks for years to come. All I can say is its about time.

[Mariano_Rivera]

They are going to want to give some of the young guys more seasoning in Scranton. If they see Sanchez as a part of a future rotation they are probably going to have him start in Scranton rather than sitting around the bullpen. If they need a spot starter they'll call him up when needed. Cashman probably doesn't expect all the young guys to come through this year and is setting up the farm clubs to keep feeding the Yanks for years to come. All I can say is its about time.

I read somewhere that Cashman has said Sanchez might be in the bullpen. That's a good point. Karsten might be a more attractive option in the bullpen. I think he's as seasoned as he needs and I don`t think he is as good as Rasner either so we can give him a shot coming out of the bullpen.

[cmaff05]

I think bruney should get the set-up roll. I wouldn't give it to farnsworth, he isn't consistant. What aout keeping Dotel and see if he turns around this offseason? he was out for a while remember, he needs time. I wouldn't give the roll to proctor, he's good, but i'd be afraid to put him in the set-up roll. I think we should go get someone else that would be relible to set up.

Farnsworth is better than both Bruney and Proctor. One magic year for both Bruney and Proctor doesn't take away from that fact.

[DoubleX]

Farnsworth is better than both Bruney and Proctor. One magic year for both Bruney and Proctor doesn't take away from that fact.

Farnsworth's had a career full of inconsistency, so it's tough to say if he's actually better or worse than Bruney and Proctor. Farsnworth has better stuff, but he doesn't seem to know how to make the most of it.

[KCGHOST]

One of the biggest problems the Yankees have is that Torre is a known serial bullpen killer unless he has nothing but bullet proof options.

[DoubleX]

One of the biggest problems the Yankees have is that Torre is a known serial bullpen killer unless he has nothing but bullet proof options.

You got it. He doesn't trust most of the staff, and the few guys he does trust he rides them until their arms are dead. However, one thing surprised me this year - Torre's faith in Bruney. In the past, I would say no way Torre would go to Bruney down the stretch as often as he did and then rely on him in key situations in the postseason. Perhaps it is a sign that Torre is learning to be open-minded.

[TonyStarks]

Farnsworth is better than both Bruney and Proctor. One magic year for both Bruney and Proctor doesn't take away from that fact.

Farns has been around longer.
But he's far to inconsistent to be considered a SU or CL.
I literable cringe when that SOB is on the mound.

I liked, excuse me, I loved what I saw from Bruney last season.
I really hope it was something to build on and that he continues to do what he did.

Proctor could be used in the 7th. I have no idea where you could use Farns..I don't trust him with a glass of water.

He should have been packaged with Wright to Baltimore, if you ask me.
I would have gladly packed his bags and his contact lense cleaners!

[cmaff05]

Have you guys looked at Proctor and Bruney's careers??!

They are not pretty.

[TonyStarks]

Have you guys looked at Proctor and Bruney's careers??!

They are not pretty.

Have you seen Farnsworth's?


Proctor has improved the last 2 seasons.
And this season he made huge improvements.

Bruney looked great whenever he was called on this season.

[Waitinfor27]

[QUOTE=Rickey_Henderson]I think you're forgetting about another guy that has a spot locked up ;)

#42QUOTE]

Well Rickey, I didn't forget the ALMIGHTY CLOSER GOD, but I figured he's a gimmee.

[Waitinfor27]

I think you're forgetting about another guy that has a spot locked up ;)

#42

Well Rickey, I didn't forget him, he's just a gimmee. No questions asked, Mo is the closer.

Also, sorry for the double post, how do I delete posts?

[cmaff05]

Have you seen Farnsworth's?


Proctor has improved the last 2 seasons.
And this season he made huge improvements.

Bruney looked great whenever he was called on this season.

Proctor improved from a 5.40 ERA and a 6.02 ERA and Bruney improved from a 7.83 ERA... yup.

And anybody who thinks Bruney's ERA isn't the definition of a fluke is kidding themselves... look at his peripherals!

[Mariano_Rivera]

Proctor improved from a 5.40 ERA and a 6.02 ERA and Bruney improved from a 7.83 ERA... yup.

And anybody who thinks Bruney's ERA isn't the definition of a fluke is kidding themselves... look at his peripherals!

Bruney was incredibly lucky with the HR ball. His HR/FB% was only 4.9 but his BABIP was about average. His HR/FB% won`t stay like that with a K/BB ratio of 1.67. He walks to many people. He still might be pretty decent but he isn`t closer material unless he cuts down on the BB's.

Proctor on the other hand was only slightly lucky with the BABIP and the HR/FB%. His K/BB ratio is 2.70 and he should be able to improve on last year performance as long as Torre doesn`t work him like last year.

[DoubleX]

Proctor improved from a 5.40 ERA and a 6.02 ERA and Bruney improved from a 7.83 ERA... yup.

And anybody who thinks Bruney's ERA isn't the definition of a fluke is kidding themselves... look at his peripherals!

Proctor never had a real shot before this season. In the two prior years he pitched just 69.7 innings combined - that's barely anything.

Proctor always had a great fastball that has both velocity and movement, and this year he showed better command, keeping pitches down in the zone, as well as being able to mix in a good curveball. The fact that Proctor did it for what is in modern conditions, a ridiculous 102.3 innings out of the pen, says a great deal to me - you're not a fluke if you can be successful under so much use and duress.

Proctor had the stuff before this year, he just needed a real chance to prove it. That doesn't mean I want Proctor closing, but I have a whole lot more faith in him than Farnsworth. Farnsworth stuff is good enough, however, that I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and see what he can do next year.

[TonyStarks]

Don't forget that Proctor added an offspeed pitch, that slider.
Which I sometimes thought Posada or Proctor called it too many times.

I think this helped him also.
And along with finally getting a real shot from Torre after the bum Tanyon got hurt...Torre was forced to give Tanyon's innings to Proctor.

[Waitinfor27]

I'm so glad Proctor came along. If he continues like he did at the beginning of last year (with Bruney, shouldn't be too hard) and Farnsworth pitches really well (which he did, he just had a 3 run+ blowup inning a month) and Villone comes back to capacity, we have a great bullpen.

[farmsystem]

I'm all for stock piling as many good young arms in the bullpen as possible. The only abundance that the Yankees don't have are lefties. I know Henn has pitched some but I can't name many other lefties in the Yankees system. Whatever happened to Abel Gomez, the pitcher the Yankees were hesitant to give up for RJ.

[Alvin6688]

I think the Yankees should focus on solid pitching through their bullpen. Putting together a dominant rotation will just cost too much right now, and is unecessary with all the young guys waiting on deck. But reliavers are cheap, quick, and dirty. They can be signed for less money and less years than starters, but have just as important an effect.

1) They would not have to go overboard, open up the pocketbook, and sign an expensive FA pitcher like Zito just to keep their top-notch competitiveness.

2) They would not have to jam themselves into a long-term contract, since relievers and middle-rotation guys are much less likely to demand long-term deals.

3) They would not have to conceed 2007 as a transition year; they could remain a top-tier team.

4) They would have a deep enough bullpen even for Joe Torre's arm-killing ways.

I'd sign Jamie Walker, Ray King, or Steve Kline because they are lefties, and Justin Speier simply because he's the best. Having two of these stars even opens up the option of Proctor becoming a starter. (BTW, if Proctor is a starter, I'd see him as a 6-inning guy with a 4.20 ERA - both better and cheaper than Jared Wright.)

ROTATION:
1. Wang
2. Mussina
3. Proctor
4. Randy
5. Rasner

BULLPEN:
Jamie Walker
Justin Speier
Chris Britton
Brian Bruney
Jeff Karstens
Villone/Myers
Kyle Farnsworth
Humberto Sanchez
Phil Hughes
Jose Veras
TJ Beam
JB Cox
Mo Rivera

All things considered, I'd be pretty satisfied if the Yankees opened the season with such a pitching staff. For one, it's VERY flexible because Proctor and Rasner can easily be rotated in and/or out between rotation and bullpen. Also,

[EvanAparra]

Hmmm, is Hughes going to play 1st as well? You only have enough room for 7 position players.

[Alvin6688]

Obviously that's not the 25-man roster. Beam, Cox, Veras, Hughes, Sanchez, Karstens, and Myers may all begin 2007 in the minors. Villone may not be resigned. So for a 25-man, it would be more like 9 position players/DH, 3 back-up guys, 5 starting pitchers, 8 relievers.

ROTATION:
1. Wang
2. Mussina
3. Proctor
4. Randy
5. Rasner

BULLPEN:
1. Walker
2. Speier
3. Britton
4. Bruney
5. Sanchez
6. Farnsworth
7. Rivera

[EvanAparra]

Is Myers a FA?

[Alvin6688]

No, but some argue that he's too narrow to be worth the slot on a 25-man roster and should be traded or sent to the minors. He'd make the expanded roster easily, though.

[EvanAparra]

Huh? Why would you even think about sending him to the minors or anything of the sort? That 3.23 ERA looks pretty good to me. He may be there for limited innings, but hes great against lefties. Better than Villone was, at least.

[Alvin6688]

Villone's ERA was good for 80% of the year. By the end he was just overworked and ran out of gas.

Myers is a decent pitcher, but only pitches for like 1/3 of an inning. One VERY good sign in 2006, though, was that his ERA against righties was actually lower than his ERA against lefties. This shows that he has the potential to be more than a LOOGY. Personally, I like Myers (both the player and the guy), and if he can keep his performance from last year, I'd keep him. If not, then there just seem to be better options for the slot. The Yankees are just really deep in young pitching right now that competition could get fierce.

[cmaff05]

Just let Villone go and see if you can get a draft pick. He's a Type B free agent, meaning we get a draft pick if he signs with another team.

[DoubleX]

I like the idea of bringing Jamie Walker in. He'd essentially replace Villone.

[TonyStarks]

I like the idea of bringing Jamie Walker in. He'd essentially replace Villone.


There goes that idea:
Report: Orioles sign ex-Tigers lefty reliever Walker

[YankeePhan123]

Why is everyone so amped up on Spierer ( I know i misspelled it). He is probably going to be resigned by the Blow Jays. I would go with my sig, sign Gagne. The Yankees could sign him for 1-2 years with a buyout option after one for 12 mil.

[Mariano_Rivera]

Why is everyone so amped up on Spierer ( I know i misspelled it). He is probably going to be resigned by the Blow Jays. I would go with my sig, sign Gagne. The Yankees could sign him for 1-2 years with a buyout option after one for 12 mil.

He will likely not be resigned by the Jay's actually.

[YankeePhan123]

Where did you see that?

[YankeePhan123]

Well its official, Spier was signed by LA Angels. Good, i dont think he has the mentallity for NYY. He looked like someone who needs a small market team.

[Evangelion]

Lol, the relief pitchers are flying off the market.
3) They would not have to conceed 2007 as a transition year; they could remain a top-tier team.
Lol, no offense, dude, but the Yankees never have a transition year in over 10 plus years. Even with bad pitching, they'll always been consider a contender heading into a season.

[Mariano_Rivera]

Lol, the relief pitchers are flying off the market.

Lol, no offense, dude, but the Yankees never have a transition year in over 10 plus years. Even with bad pitching, they'll always been consider a contender heading into a season.

They still have Murderers Row (and Cano)

[YankeePhan123]

Yeah true, but as we saw this p-season good pitching beats good hitting.

[DoubleX]

Yeah true, but as we saw this p-season good pitching beats good hitting.

You can't always predict where the pitching is going to come from - who would have thought that the Cardinals would be carried to the WS title on the backs of Jeff Suppan and Jeff Weaver?

[Mariano_Rivera]

Yeah true, but as we saw this p-season good pitching beats good hitting.
When I hear the term competitor I think a playoff team.

[ChrisLDuncan]

We should have added Bradford, were weak in the pen...all we really have are Proctor and Mo

[DoubleX]

We should have added Bradford, were weak in the pen...all we really have are Proctor and Mo

I think the team is pretty stable in the pen. Not fantastic, but there really aren't many teams that are. The key is for Torre to learn how to use his relievers better. The team also has some decent depth on the farm to bring in. Bruney looked tremendous last year. Britton looked good last year with Baltimore (though I've read his weight is a concern). Sanchez strikes me as someone who would be good in the pen, at least at first. The team loves Beam's stuff and he should improve with some more experience. I liked what Veras showed last year and think the team should give him a longer look. Cox could be ready for a callup sometime next year. Casadiego looked strong last year and is continuing to do so in the Venezuelan league. Rasner and/or Karstens could provide a longarm out of the pen, and Rasner, in particular, had a few very nice outings out of the pen last year. The team also just added a young lefty to the 40 man roster - Chase Wright, so he might have something too.

So I think the team has plenty of options and is in good footing with the veteran talent it already has, namely Rivera, Proctor, Farnsworth, and Myers. In respect to these guys - I think Proctor is still learning how to pitch, and if Torre gives him some more rest next year, he could be even better; Farnsworth has amazing stuff, so I'm not ready to give up on him yet; Myers is a typical loogy; and Rivera is Rivera.

[TonyStarks]

Braves sign Tanyon Sturze!

**SIGHHHHH**
Now I can breathe easier!

[DoubleX]

Braves sign Tanyon Sturze!

**SIGHHHHH**
Now I can breathe easier!

Funny - I was thinking the same exact thing when I read about it.

[ChrisLDuncan]

What do you think of us looking at Jeff Supan? I mean is he a better or worse signing than Derek Lowe?

[ChrisLDuncan]

You can't always predict where the pitching is going to come from - who would have thought that the Cardinals would be carried to the WS title on the backs of Jeff Suppan and Jeff Weaver?

I would say that the 2006 WS was a total abberation, I mean Eckstein out hit Pujols...supposedly the best hitter in baseball, but Carpenter came up huge too.

[Mariano_Rivera]

What do you think of us looking at Jeff Supan? I mean is he a better or worse signing than Derek Lowe?

Much much worse. Lowe isn`t a FA though is he?

[Evangelion]

He's likely refering to deal Lowe got. Not to mention the Dodgers view him as their number one pitcher.

With my experience with Suppan when he was in Boston twice, the second deal we dealt that young man name Sanchez, who was in the All-Star game for Pittsburgh. So yeah, I'm bit tweaked about dealing for Suppan for a half year rental, especially considering he's not that great from what I saw.

Suppan a back of the end starter, you have those. New York need in the rotation a front of the end starter, like Willis, not Zito. ;)

[TonyStarks]

What do you think of us looking at Jeff Supan? I mean is he a better or worse signing than Derek Lowe?

I'd rather give that spot to Karstens or Rastner.

We need to stop wasting money on these kinda bums.
If your going to spend on a bum, just spend the time and aggravation on a young kid who will come on the cheap.