CLEARWATER — Just because Joba Chamberlain is caught in the middle of the Yankees’ bullpen doesn’t mean he has forgotten about being a starter again or closing games at some point.
Following a crisp two-strikeout, one-inning outing Tuesday against the Phillies at Bright House Field, Chamberlain was asked if he envisioned himself as an eventual closer. Without prompting he also said he still has the equipment to be a starter.
“At some point, yes,” said Chamberlain, who can become a free agent following the upcoming season. “It’s one of those things. Do I have four pitches I can throw for strikes? Yes. Do I have two pitches I can throw at any time? Yes. I guess I am trying to have my cake and eat it, too. I feel I am in a position to do both and I have proven I can do both. I want to do one or the other. I found my confidence in the bullpen and if I get a chance to start wherever that’s at, without a doubt.”
When Chamberlain surfaced in 2007 he sure looked like he was going to be a candidate to replace Mariano Rivera as the closer. A triple-digit fastball and a filthy slider dominated hitters In 24 innings he fanned 34, walked six and allowed a dozen hits.
And the Joba Rules were invented.
The following year the Yankees made a bad decision to start him in the bullpen and work himself up to a starter. After joining the rotation, he suffered a shoulder injury during a start in Texas. In 2009 Chamberlain made 31 starts but his stuff wasn’t consistently electric.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn’t try to mask his disappointment to be answering questions about Chamberlain being a starter again. Since Chamberlain’s last start in 2009, he has worked exclusively as a middle-to-late-inning reliever. It’s a role where there is very little money to be made.
And based on the reactions of GM Brian Cashman and Girardi, that’s where Chamberlain is going to spend this season if he can avoid the injury bug that has plagued him the past two seasons.
“We have not,” Girardi said cutting off a question as to whether the Yankees have talked about Chamberlain being a starter.
“I don’t know. There would have to be a lot of stamina to build up and we would be back to innings limit. We like him out of the pen. We thought it played well there and I think it will this year.”
Cashman’s response was sarcastic.
“We are also down an outfield bat right now. See if he can play center,” Cashman said.