TAMPA — Fixing A.J. Burnett is not the only challenge facing new Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild.
The 56-year-old was hired in November to replace Dave Eiland as the team’s pitching coach. At the time, most people expected he would have a staff of CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes and Burnett. Instead, he has Sabathia, Hughes, Burnett and a bunch of question marks.
Even with the retirement of Pettitte and Lee choosing the Phillies over the Yankees, Rothschild remains optimistic his staff that is being viewed as a weakness can turn into a strength.
“You like to have a lot of numbers and guys that have been successful whether it’s Pettitte or Lee or whoever,” he said. “Every year, you see guys evolve and come into situations and do (unexpected) things. . . . Hopefully, guys can grab onto this and run with it and pitch well for us and then we’ve got a better situation. If not, then I think at some point we’ll find somebody that will.”
After nine years with the Cubs, where just making the World Series is a dream, Rothschild joins the Yankees, where winning the World Series is expected. He knows he will come under fire if the pitchers scuffle. But Rothschild is unfazed by the added spotlight.
The Yankees dumped Eiland days after their ALCS loss to the Rangers. No firm reason ever has been given, but many suspect it had to do with his month-long absence last season.
Eiland was the only pitching coach most of the pitchers had with the Yankees. Mariano Rivera is the only one who dates back to Mel Stottlemyre, and Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain had brief dealings with Ron Guidry in 2007 before Eiland took over in 2008. In fact, Eiland coached Hughes and Chamberlain in the minors.
“It will be strange not to have that voice,” Hughes said.
Shortly after taking the job, Rothschild reached out to all of the pitchers.
“We’ve been talking all through the offseason,” Chamberlain said. “He didn’t go throw a million things at me, there were only a couple of things, which is exactly what I was thinking, too. So we were on the same page.”
brian.costello@nypost.com