This is not meant to disparage Brian Bruney, Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre. But who would have thought Joba Chamberlain would be in a fight with those names to be included on the Yankees’ ALDS roster?
Yet that’s where the inconsistent right-hander finds himself today with no further chance to sway the decision makers who will construct the staff for the best-of-five series that starts next week against the AL Central champion, either the Tigers or Twins.
“We have to talk about the roster and who is the best at getting outs,” general manager Brian Cashman said yesterday. “He is in there versus Chad Gaudin, Brian Bruney and Sergio Mitre. It could come down to two or one out of that group.”
If you remember Chamberlain’s entrance into the big leagues in 2007, when his blazing fastball across one inning of work made him the toast of the city, where he is today is puzzling. If you recall how good he was in three starts following the All-Star break (3-0; 0.86 ERA), this is baffling. But so was Chamberlain being booed on the way off the mound Wednesday when he required 91 pitches to record 11 outs against the morbid Royals.
The Yankees, who finish with three weekend games at Tampa Bay, went to extreme measures to get the 24-year-old Chamberlain through his first full season as a major-league starter and from all reports they accomplished that with several variations of the Joba Rules. Now, however, the games mean everything. Now, Chamberlain, who long ago was deleted from the first-round rotation that will house CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett, could be inactive in the first round.
The decision is out of Chamberlain’s hands. How many pitchers the Yankees take will figure into his fate.
If it’s 10, the last spot is between Bruney, Chamberlain, Gaudin and Mitre. If it’s 11, two of the four get a uniform.
Should the Yankees take three catchers — Cashman said it has been discussed — or pinch-runner deluxe Freddy Guzman, they will likely carry 10 hurlers.
Gaudin can provide length. Bruney has bounced back from a miserable season with two consecutive strong outings. At best Cashman was being polite to Mitre; he isn’t making the roster ahead of the other three.
So, what have scouts seen from Chamberlain (9-6, 4.78 ERA) recently?
“What I see is a guy trying to lay back and pitch like a guy who has experience pitching at 91 to 92 mph,” said a scout who has seen Chamberlain’s last two starts; one good against the Red Sox and Wednesday’s debacle. “Then he wants to dial it up to 93-94 and he can’t do that. You can tell by his mechanics, he is falling off. If a guy can throw 95 to 96, get him to throw that way and see how far he can go.”
Lately, the only time Chamberlain pushes the guns into the 94-96 mph range is when he is ahead in the count.
Another talent evaluator believes Chamberlain’s persona changed for the worse when he was converted from reliever to starter and it still affects his mechanics.
“He is a grunt-and-fart guy, he’s Joba,” the scout said. “As soon as he tries to pitch, he moves around and loses his delivery.”
Again, the Joba Rules were designed to keep Chamberlain healthy not only this year but next. So, how did they work?
“Obviously, he has been inconsistent,” Cashman said. “There were stretches of tremendous performances and stretches of inconsistency. Thankfully he is healthy and made 31 starts. Some times you have to take a step back and realize his age.”
The Yankees have several days to ponder whether Chamberlain is better than Bruney, Gaudin and Mitre.
Who would have thought it would come to that two years after the way Chamberlain introduced himself?
george.king@nypost.com