Do Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre Really Have a Shot at Being the 5th Starter?
During the course of the off-season all that was being discussed about who the 5th starter in the rotation for the Yankees would be was that it was a race between Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Well, what about the other guys? Last time I checked, Chad Gaudin started some games for the Yanks along with Sergio Mitre. Alfredo Aceves is another candidate, seeing that he was originally brought up as a starting pitcher. However, in the grand scheme of things, I don’t really think Gaudin, Mitre, or Aceves stand much of a chance of being the 5th starter – especially in the long run. The Yankees have to be looking to the future for this role, and the two clear cut guys who would be the best here are Joba and Hughes, no question.
Aceves, to me at least, is out of the question. It’s not that I think he would make a bad starter, but last season he was too good out of the bullpen in long relief. Every successful team needs someone who can go in there and either stop the bleeding for a few innings, or just do a few solid innings of relief. The Yankees won many games thanks to his role in the bullpen, and abandoning that would simply not be worth it.
The same could be said about Hughes, about how he was too good in the setup role to move him out, and also how he could be groomed into the next Yankee closer when Mariano eventually hangs the spikes up (a day I never want to think about). But if that’s going to be said about Hughes, then there is an even stronger case for Joba to be the one in the bullpen! When Chamberlain was pitching out of the bullpen, he was one of the best in the game. He was a 20 pitch injection of unhittableness (yes, he was that good as a setup man that you have to make up words in order to describe his talent). So anyway, to say that because of Hughes being a good reliever last season means he should stay in the bullpen does not make much sense.
Gaudin and Mitre both would be serviceable enough as number 5 starters in the Yankees rotation, but if the Yankees have better options (which they do), they should use them. Keeping these guys either in AAA or the bullpen would be important, because injuries are inevitable. I’m sure they’ll both get their share of starts for the Yankees, but to think of them as starting the season in the rotation is probably not smart.
If one of them could be traded, it really would not be such a terrible idea. If they are going to be “6th starters”, or just used for when someone is injured, maybe only one of them needs to be kept. If Gaudin or Mitre could be traded for a defensive specialist, or a pinch hitter, or even a minor league player who has some potential, the risk would be worth it. If they’re going to be used for what their role should be, then there is not much value in keeping both of them.
What do you think the Yankees should do with Gaudin, Mitre, or both? Who should be the pitcher that gills out the rotation?
Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com
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