Monday, August 27, 2007
So, who gets Moose’s spot in the Rotation?
Obviously, Mike Mussina was again awful tonight. With the Yankees in jeopardy of missing the postseason, it's very likely that they may not risk running him out there again in his next turn.So that of course begs the question, who can start in his stead? According to Jayson Stark, the following pitchers have cleared waivers:
Steve Trachsel, Jose Contreras, Josh Towers, Odalis Perez.
None of those guys seem like much of a choice, so here's a list of the possible in-house candidates and their MLEs (major league equivlancies) plus any time they've spent in the majors this year.
| Last | First | W | L | S | ERA | G | GS | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO |
| *Kennedy | Ian | 8 | 7 | 0 | 4.15 | 26 | 25 | 141 | 131 | 65 | 14 | 66 | 109 |
| *White | Steven | 4 | 6 | 0 | 5.01 | 17 | 16 | 97 | 113 | 54 | 11 | 34 | 41 |
| DeSalvo | Matt | 6 | 10 | 0 | 5.02 | 25 | 24 | 127 | 135 | 71 | 11 | 73 | 74 |
| Wright | Chase | 7 | 12 | 0 | 6.25 | 26 | 25 | 144 | 171 | 100 | 32 | 77 | 59 |
| Igawa | Kei | 5 | 8 | 0 | 6.26 | 24 | 23 | 132 | 156 | 92 | 32 | 51 | 99 |
| Clippard | Tyler | 6 | 7 | 0 | 6.37 | 24 | 24 | 113 | 134 | 80 | 22 | 67 | 69 |
Ian Kennedy is the best option according to these numbers, but the Yankees are supposedly not considering him since he's up against an innings cap. Next up are Steven White and Matt DeSalvo. White has always had a reputation for having good stuff, but never the results to go with it. Also a consideration, neither Kennedy or White are on the 40 man roster so a move would have to be made. That's not a huge deal, I'm sure they can DFA someone like Jim Brower.
We've seen DeSalvo, Wright, Clippard, and Igawa and none have been very good. If I had to choose one of them I'd probably try Igawa again.
I suppose the Yankees should try White on the off-chance that unfamiliarity and plus stuff translates to a few good starts. Other than that, I'd run Igawa out there on the condition that he pitches six innings every start, regardless of how bad he is. The Yankees cannot afford to get three inning starts going forward.
Mussina's body has failed him. He lost his fastball, and he hasn't been able to compensate. It's not his fault, and I don't think his character should be criticized. I thought keeping Moose was a smart idea at the time, although I preferred the Yankees picking up his option and paying a bit more for a one year committment, in case this happened. He still projected to be at least an average starter this year.
The AL East race is basically over now. Unless the Yankees sweep Boston in the series starting tomorrow they don't have a chance. The playoff chase is still very much alive though, so I'm not about to give up on this team yet. .
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