Not that Brian Cashman is A.J. Burnett or anything, but it’s a little difficult to believe the tale that the Yankees’ GM won’t be on the lookout for a starting pitcher between now and the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline to fill the hole left by Andy Pettitte.
It’s common sense for the Yankees to give Sergio Mitre a shot at the fifth starter’s assignment to take the six or seven turns Pettitte is likely to miss while his strained groin heals, there’s no doubt about that.
But it’s nonsensical to believe Cashman won’t look outside the organization if the 29-year-old Mitre is unable to give the Yankees more than the 4 2⁄3 innings per he’s averaged in his 11 starts in pinstripes over the last two seasons, pitching into the seventh inning once and the sixth inning twice.
Burnett’s ability to provide consistent length is in question. Phil Hughes is on an innings-restricted diet, though the recipe is as yet undisclosed. The Yankees cannot afford to add much more responsibility to a bullpen that has the ninth highest ERA in the AL at 4.17 despite having pitched fewer innings per game (2 2⁄3) than any relief corps in the league.
Last week’s celebration of George Steinbrenner’s life focused on the owner’s willingness to absorb any cost in order to win the World Series. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for Cashman to go out and get Roy Oswalt, who may not be a fit moving from the NL Central to the AL East; or Ted Lilly, who might not be able to keep the ball in the ballpark; or Brett Myers, who has the Type A personality the Yankees would be wise to avoid.
It does mean, however, that if Mitre goes his usual four innings-plus in his first couple of starts, Cashman would be obliged to acquire an arm who could get the Yankees through six innings and then move into the bullpen upon Pettitte’s return to health and the rotation.
Regardless, the bats are going to have to pick up the arms, the way they did on Sunday, coming back from 3-0 down after a half-inning against All-Star starter David Price to beat the Rays 9-5. Everyone has acknowledged that pitching, specifically starting pitching, has carried the Yankees to the best record in baseball.
Now the lineup, which is so formidable even when its most glittering components are struggling the way Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira have at different junctures for much of the season, must carry the team.
Jeter’s issues have been well documented. A year ago, when Jeter moved to the leadoff spot in the lineup, the Yankees led the AL with a .402 on-base percentage out of that position. Now they’re sixth at .340 in that category. As hitting coach Kevin Long said on Sunday, the Yankees need Jeter to pick it up.
Rodriguez, sitting on 598 home runs with an empty chase at 600 on the docket for the remainder of the homestand, featuring two against the Angels and four against the Royals, is 11-for-51 his last 13 games and had gone 30 at-bats without a home run until he belted one on Sunday.
The Yankees have the best record in the majors, yet no one believes the lineup has come close to producing to its capacity, even with huge contributions from Robinson Cano, Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner.
On Saturday, special assistant Reggie Jackson used golf terminology to describe the Yankees’ season.
“We’ve been spraying the ball all over, but we’re putting it in the cup,” said No. 44. “We know how to win.”
The Yankees have been winning on a combination of their starting pitching and Mariano Rivera. Now, with Pettitte down for at least the next month, they’re going to need to win a different way in order to stay in front of both Tampa Bay and Boston.
That’s no fib.