Yanks eye expanded rotation for September — and maybe beyond
By Joel ShermanAugust
The Yankees have a puzzle. They have huge investments and equal-size physical
concerns in their rotation.
What to do?
Pitching coach Larry Rothschild told The Post the Yankees are strongly
considering a six-man rotation for September and that it could serve as a
precursor for doing it on a longer and larger scale in 2015.
Rothschild cautioned that you have to be able to find enough starters to make
a six-man rotation feasible and that upper management would have to buy in.
And general manager Brian Cashman said that aside from “talking about it” a
bit, the organization is not committed to the concept in the short- or
long-term. At least not yet.
However, Rothschild was passionate about trying. “Absolutely” was the word
he used to describe if he was serious about attempting this. And not just
because myopically he has to figure out how to get the best out of Masahiro
Tanaka and Michael Pineda in September and that duo plus CC Sabathia and,
perhaps, Ivan Nova next year. But because he sees the epidemic of pitching
injuries, particularly the need for Tommy John surgeries, Rothschild says, “
I think people are going to have to look at a lot of alternatives.”
Obviously, there are folks still bemoaning the move from four- to five-man
rotations. But we are where we are and we are not going back. More guys throw
harder than ever before and more guys break down. The cost in days, dollars
and playoff chances lost are large. The organizations that figure out how to
keep their starters healthy are going to be king.
Consider that 10 teams have used eight or fewer starters this year. All 10
are over .500 and five of the six division leaders have used seven or fewer
starters. The average is nine per team, with the Rockies at a major
league-high 15 and the Yanks tied for fourth at 12.
Amazingly, the Yankees have not been sunk by their rotation. However, Cashman
said, if this season were played out 100 times, the Yankees would not have
solved their starting pitching problems in a large majority of them. I am not
sure. Pitching is better. Hitting is worse. Thus, I believe you can create
some starting pitching depth more readily than in the past. But is there a
way to keep key guys healthy? Will starting 26-28 times a season and getting
extra rest be better than starting 32-34 times in a five-man rotation?
I am not sure. But I believe it is worth a try and the Yanks are in perfect
position to open this laboratory, especially once rosters expand and they
have extra relievers in September. On Sept. 2, they begin a phase of 21 games
in 20 days. They also hope that during that period they will work Tanaka back
into the rotation. His dubious elbow, Pineda’s problematic shoulder and
Hiroki Kuroda’s age give them reason to try to provide extra rest.
For next season, taking the huge assumptions Tanaka does not need Tommy John
surgery and Sabathia can return from knee surgery, the Yankees have that duo
plus Pineda, Shane Greene and, perhaps, a re-signed Brandon McCarthy. That is
five. David Phelps and Adam Warren could vie for a sixth spot, at least until
Nova returns from Tommy John surgery or Luis Severino, Manny Banuelos or
Bryan Mitchell proves ready.
Remember, in Japan most teams have off days each Monday, so starters pitch
once a week. During the All-Star festivities, Rangers ace Yu Darvish said MLB
teams should shift to six-man rotations to replicate the once-a-week style
and take stress off elbows. Subsequently, Darvish was shut down with elbow
inflammation.
Can you convince pitchers with bulldog mentalities (like Sabathia) to pitch
in a six-man rotation? Because a six-man rotation likely would mean a six-man
pen (rather than seven), a team trying this would need players with options
so that they could move relievers, primarily, on and off the roster as
needed. As with any new attempt in a game of tradition, there will be
criticism, unintended consequences and expected bumps. Still, at least for
September, the Yankees should open this lab to see what it looks like,
particularly because they have Tanaka and Sabathia signed, potentially,
through 2020 and 2017, respectively.
“No doubt, you have to see how all the pieces fit,” Rothschild said. “But
I think it is something you have to take a look at.”
http://ppt.cc/oadF
洋基投手教練Larry Rothschild強烈考慮在9月實行6人輪值,甚至當作明年實行6人
輪值的前導.但是GM Brian Cashman說至少目前尚未決定.Rothschild也說要這樣做
必須要有足夠的投手高層才會買帳.
以下是個人想法:
洋基今年深受SP受傷所苦,改成6人輪值讓SP多休一天是否會改善這個狀況?要多一個
SP代表牛棚或是野手名單就會少一個人,因為可以多休一天,提高SP的投球數由100球
到120球是可以減輕牛棚的負擔,但是這就會增加失分的機率,外加上第6號SP的壓制力
更差,真的有單一球隊願意這麼做嗎?除非有人先試驗,然後發現前幾號SP因為多休一
天受傷機率減小外,也表現得更勇猛,這樣才會有其他球隊效法吧?
其實我覺得多一個SP對聯盟比賽精采性或許也有幫助,最近投手越來越強,讓打擊可以
多得點分又可以保護投手,似乎也不錯~