TAMPA – Joe Girardi and his staff will meet soon to discuss what pitchers fit into what roles. There will be other names on the table but the one who is most critical to the Yankees’ success will be Joba Chamberlain.
The plan from January on has been to open the season with Chamberlain in the bullpen setting up Mariano Rivera.
Eventually, the Yankees believe the electric right-hander will go into the rotation and haven’t ruled that out happening this year.
Nevertheless, if the Yankees want him to acclimate to the bullpen it’s likely they will want to use him in relief for an inning or two at some point instead of working him as a starter.
“We will sit and talk about in the next couple of days and make decisions about putting a roster together,” Girardi said. “We have had 15 days of games and you have the last two weeks. You get an idea of what you are going to do.”
As for Chamberlain, whose up-and-down spring training continued yesterday when he gave up three runs and four hits in three innings to the Tigers in an 11-7 Yankee victory at Lakeland, Girardi said he is focusing on his development.
“Our idea is to develop him and we will continue to evaluate that process,” Girardi said. “As we get further down the road here we will make decisions.”
With Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy set as the five starters, there isn’t room for Chamberlain in the rotation.
Because Kyle Farnsworth can’t be trusted as Rivera’s setup man, the task falls to Chamberlain. Of course, by stretching Chamberlain out as a starter he also becomes insurance if an injury surfaces to one of the five starters.
“I felt fantastic,” said Chamberlain, who gave up a homer to Curtis Granderson. “Overall, it was probably my best outing as far as feeling and stuff that I had.”