OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

hayesb26 · 04-19-2007, 10:22 AM

Team Preview: Part Three of Four

04/02/2007

Part three of our five-part preview of the 2007 New York Yankees will focus on the pitching staff. In 2006, as it has been in most every season in recent memory, the achilles heel of the Yankees was their pitching staff. Hopefully, with key new additions for the upcoming season, the same won’t be said about our 2007 Yanks.

The staff begins with Chien-Ming Wang. He became the ace of the rotation last year, going 19-6 with a 3.63 ERA and was a candidate in the Cy Young race. Wang heavily relies on the groundball to get his outs, striking out just over three battings per nine innings last season. Don’t count on that stat to change much, as he’ll heavily rely on his defense to get him outs. At just 27 years old, Wang is without a doubt the new leader of the Yankees rotation. Although language barriers may prevent him from leading with words, his example should be more than enough.

Second in the rotation is old reliable, Mike Mussina. Moose went 15-7 for the Yanks last season, with an ERA of 3.51. After signing a two year extension at the end of the season to finish his career in New York, Mussina is hungry to get a World Series ring before that time comes. Although his competitive fire remains, Mike has a lost a bit off his pitches with age. He’s now 38, and doesn’t have the velocity or command he used to possess. Although he may not be the ace that fans have become accustomed to, Mussina should still be a quality starting pitcher in this league, and will keep the Yankees in many ballgames.

Returning to pinstripes and pitching 3rd in the rotation is Andy Pettitte, who openly admits that he probably should have never left the organization in the first place. By signing Pettitte, the Yanks hope to accomplish several things. First, Pettitte is now the only left handed pitcher in the rotation. Secondly, they hope to re-create the magic from the multiple World Series runs the team had with Pettitte on board. Third, as everybody knows by now, is the Roger Clemens fiasco. It’s no secret that Roger and Andy are close friends. By signing Pettitte, the Yankees have also significantly increased their chances of signing Roger Clemens midway through the season, which would be an incredible boost to the staff. Although Andy has gotten older, and is now 34, he still has the talent and ability to be a top of the rotation guy. His ERA of 4.20 last season, while pitching his home games in Houston’s Minute Maid Park, is a prime example of that. Look for Pettitte to bounce back in the Big Apple, and re-emerge as a force in pinstripes.

Fourth in the rotation for the Bombers will be Carl Pavano. Pavano, who did not pitch in 2006 because of a variety of injuries, is on thin ice with management in New York. The Yankees signed him to become a Cy Young candidate, and become a leader of their team. Since joining the team, he’s done neither. In fact, he has yet to pitch an adequate amount of innings since joining the Yanks in 2005. Now 31 years old, Pavano is a prime trade target, as the Yanks will try to package him with prospects to unload his $9.6 million salary. However, if Pavano is able to regain his pre-2005 form and impress the fans and management, he could slot into the rotation very well in the #4 spot.

Coming from Japan to fill the final spot in the rotation will be Kei Igawa. Despite being in the shadow of Matsuzaka for most of his career, Igawa was a very dominant Japanese player, leading the league in strikeouts several times. If he can translate that type of performance over seas, he’ll be an absolute steal for the Yanks at $4 million per season. Only 27 years old, Igawa still has time to grow and mature, and potentially become an upper end starter in the league. Despite occasional control issues, Kei has the stuff to just overpower hitters, even with the fact that he rarely throws over 90. Hitters often come back from the plate saying that Igawa throws deceptively fast, and that the ball arrives much faster than any of 90 MPH pitchers they have seen. After an impressive spring, Igawa has earned a rotation spot and will be given the chance to take off and run with it.

Potential Changes:

Roger Clemens. The biggest free agent of them all is one who signs mid-season, more than likely. Clemens instantly becomes the ace of any staff he pitches for, and would more than likely help push these Yankees over the top. Look for the Bombers to make a strong, and I mean strong, push towards signing the Rocket.

Carl Pavano. Management has a very, very short leash on Pavano this season. He could find himself in AAA, another team, or the free agent list if he isn’t careful. GM Hayes will not accept anything less than Yankee-quality baseball, which Pavano will have to prove himself capable of.

Livan Hernandez. Placing Livan in here is nothing more than a hunch. The free-agent-to-be starting pitcher has stated that he’d love to be a part of a winning team, which he will be unlikely to find in Arizona. The Yanks could use an inning eater like him if anyone in the rotation falters, or injury strikes.

Brad Radke. Radke has decided to return for one more season with the Twins, in hopes of capturing a World Series title. If that ends up being impossible in Minnesota, the Twins have guaranteed Radke that he will have the chance to be on a winner, and chase that championship. Again, if another starter fails to do the job, or an injury occurs within the pitching staff, look for the Yankees to search outside the organization.

The bullpen begins with Scott Proctor in middle relief. Proctor really came into his own in 2006, when the Yankees needed it most in relief pitching. His 3.52 ERA helped bridge the gap from the starters to Rivera in the 9th, and he was very effective. He’ll be the Yanks top middle relief man this season, and should see a lot of work. Even though he’s 30 years old, Proctor has only been in the big leagues for two seasons, and will produce well above his cost.

Next in the pen is the newly acquired Justin Speier. Speier came over from Anaheim without ever pitching an inning for the Angels in exchange for Carlos Pena, and should fit right in in the Big Apple. Last season in Toronto, Justin posted an ERA of just 2.98, which will be a huge benefit to the Yankee bullpen. Adding depth to that pen had been a huge concern of GM Hayes, and adding Speier behind Proctor should help to ease those concerns.

Luis Vizcaino came over from Arizona in the Randy Johnson deal this off-season. He was the only major league player that the Yanks received, and he will be another plug in this New York bullpen. Last season with the Diamondbacks, Luis posted an ERA of 3.58 in over 60 innings of work. He’ll be expected to repeat those numbers this season for the Yankees, and will be slotted in as a third middle reliever in the bullpen.

Upon finally moving to the bullpen for good last season, Joe Kennedy was a spark for the Oakland Athletics. He posted an ERA of just 2.31 in 35 innings as the lefty specialist in the Oakland bullpen. He’ll be filling the same role here in New York, as the only left-hander in the Yankee’s bullpen. He is expected to translate well to the city atmosphere and continue building upon what he started last season.

The final middle reliever in the Yankee’s bullpen will be 30 year old Colter Bean. Not much is expected of Bean, other than to come in and pitch in games that are out of hand. Bean is not a very special player, nor will he ever be one, but he will record his fair share of outs for the Yankees this season. If he can keep the ERA below five, New Yorkers will certainly have nothing to be upset about.

In the setup role for the Yankees again this season is right hander Kyle Farnsworth. Farny has had his ups and down’s in New York, and is also considered to be on the hot seat. The now 30 year old reliever had an ERA of 4.36 last season. Although he has the pure stuff and ability to throw with anyone, Farnsworth has been labeled as a head case, and is often known to beat himself. If he’s on, his stuff is untouchable, but if he’s off, look out.

Wrapping up games for the Yankees is the familiar legend, Mariano Rivera. Rivera, who has been a little bit worried about his impending free agency after the season, seems to only get better with age. He posted a 1.80 ERA in 2006, while saving 34 games for the Yanks. He did, however, miss some time with injury, which the Yanks cannot afford to have happen again this season. Look for Mariano to sort out his contract situation, stay healthy, and have another amazing season.

04-19-2007, 10:22 AM	#7
hayesb26 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 267	Team Preview: Part Three of Four 04/02/2007 Part three of our five-part preview of the 2007 New York Yankees will focus on the pitching staff. In 2006, as it has been in most every season in recent memory, the achilles heel of the Yankees was their pitching staff. Hopefully, with key new additions for the upcoming season, the same won’t be said about our 2007 Yanks. The staff begins with Chien-Ming Wang. He became the ace of the rotation last year, going 19-6 with a 3.63 ERA and was a candidate in the Cy Young race. Wang heavily relies on the groundball to get his outs, striking out just over three battings per nine innings last season. Don’t count on that stat to change much, as he’ll heavily rely on his defense to get him outs. At just 27 years old, Wang is without a doubt the new leader of the Yankees rotation. Although language barriers may prevent him from leading with words, his example should be more than enough. Second in the rotation is old reliable, Mike Mussina. Moose went 15-7 for the Yanks last season, with an ERA of 3.51. After signing a two year extension at the end of the season to finish his career in New York, Mussina is hungry to get a World Series ring before that time comes. Although his competitive fire remains, Mike has a lost a bit off his pitches with age. He’s now 38, and doesn’t have the velocity or command he used to possess. Although he may not be the ace that fans have become accustomed to, Mussina should still be a quality starting pitcher in this league, and will keep the Yankees in many ballgames. Returning to pinstripes and pitching 3rd in the rotation is Andy Pettitte, who openly admits that he probably should have never left the organization in the first place. By signing Pettitte, the Yanks hope to accomplish several things. First, Pettitte is now the only left handed pitcher in the rotation. Secondly, they hope to re-create the magic from the multiple World Series runs the team had with Pettitte on board. Third, as everybody knows by now, is the Roger Clemens fiasco. It’s no secret that Roger and Andy are close friends. By signing Pettitte, the Yankees have also significantly increased their chances of signing Roger Clemens midway through the season, which would be an incredible boost to the staff. Although Andy has gotten older, and is now 34, he still has the talent and ability to be a top of the rotation guy. His ERA of 4.20 last season, while pitching his home games in Houston’s Minute Maid Park, is a prime example of that. Look for Pettitte to bounce back in the Big Apple, and re-emerge as a force in pinstripes. Fourth in the rotation for the Bombers will be Carl Pavano. Pavano, who did not pitch in 2006 because of a variety of injuries, is on thin ice with management in New York. The Yankees signed him to become a Cy Young candidate, and become a leader of their team. Since joining the team, he’s done neither. In fact, he has yet to pitch an adequate amount of innings since joining the Yanks in 2005. Now 31 years old, Pavano is a prime trade target, as the Yanks will try to package him with prospects to unload his $9.6 million salary. However, if Pavano is able to regain his pre-2005 form and impress the fans and management, he could slot into the rotation very well in the #4 spot. Coming from Japan to fill the final spot in the rotation will be Kei Igawa. Despite being in the shadow of Matsuzaka for most of his career, Igawa was a very dominant Japanese player, leading the league in strikeouts several times. If he can translate that type of performance over seas, he’ll be an absolute steal for the Yanks at $4 million per season. Only 27 years old, Igawa still has time to grow and mature, and potentially become an upper end starter in the league. Despite occasional control issues, Kei has the stuff to just overpower hitters, even with the fact that he rarely throws over 90. Hitters often come back from the plate saying that Igawa throws deceptively fast, and that the ball arrives much faster than any of 90 MPH pitchers they have seen. After an impressive spring, Igawa has earned a rotation spot and will be given the chance to take off and run with it. Potential Changes: Roger Clemens. The biggest free agent of them all is one who signs mid-season, more than likely. Clemens instantly becomes the ace of any staff he pitches for, and would more than likely help push these Yankees over the top. Look for the Bombers to make a strong, and I mean strong, push towards signing the Rocket. Carl Pavano. Management has a very, very short leash on Pavano this season. He could find himself in AAA, another team, or the free agent list if he isn’t careful. GM Hayes will not accept anything less than Yankee-quality baseball, which Pavano will have to prove himself capable of. Livan Hernandez. Placing Livan in here is nothing more than a hunch. The free-agent-to-be starting pitcher has stated that he’d love to be a part of a winning team, which he will be unlikely to find in Arizona. The Yanks could use an inning eater like him if anyone in the rotation falters, or injury strikes. Brad Radke. Radke has decided to return for one more season with the Twins, in hopes of capturing a World Series title. If that ends up being impossible in Minnesota, the Twins have guaranteed Radke that he will have the chance to be on a winner, and chase that championship. Again, if another starter fails to do the job, or an injury occurs within the pitching staff, look for the Yankees to search outside the organization. The bullpen begins with Scott Proctor in middle relief. Proctor really came into his own in 2006, when the Yankees needed it most in relief pitching. His 3.52 ERA helped bridge the gap from the starters to Rivera in the 9th, and he was very effective. He’ll be the Yanks top middle relief man this season, and should see a lot of work. Even though he’s 30 years old, Proctor has only been in the big leagues for two seasons, and will produce well above his cost. Next in the pen is the newly acquired Justin Speier. Speier came over from Anaheim without ever pitching an inning for the Angels in exchange for Carlos Pena, and should fit right in in the Big Apple. Last season in Toronto, Justin posted an ERA of just 2.98, which will be a huge benefit to the Yankee bullpen. Adding depth to that pen had been a huge concern of GM Hayes, and adding Speier behind Proctor should help to ease those concerns. Luis Vizcaino came over from Arizona in the Randy Johnson deal this off-season. He was the only major league player that the Yanks received, and he will be another plug in this New York bullpen. Last season with the Diamondbacks, Luis posted an ERA of 3.58 in over 60 innings of work. He’ll be expected to repeat those numbers this season for the Yankees, and will be slotted in as a third middle reliever in the bullpen. Upon finally moving to the bullpen for good last season, Joe Kennedy was a spark for the Oakland Athletics. He posted an ERA of just 2.31 in 35 innings as the lefty specialist in the Oakland bullpen. He’ll be filling the same role here in New York, as the only left-hander in the Yankee’s bullpen. He is expected to translate well to the city atmosphere and continue building upon what he started last season. The final middle reliever in the Yankee’s bullpen will be 30 year old Colter Bean. Not much is expected of Bean, other than to come in and pitch in games that are out of hand. Bean is not a very special player, nor will he ever be one, but he will record his fair share of outs for the Yankees this season. If he can keep the ERA below five, New Yorkers will certainly have nothing to be upset about. In the setup role for the Yankees again this season is right hander Kyle Farnsworth. Farny has had his ups and down’s in New York, and is also considered to be on the hot seat. The now 30 year old reliever had an ERA of 4.36 last season. Although he has the pure stuff and ability to throw with anyone, Farnsworth has been labeled as a head case, and is often known to beat himself. If he’s on, his stuff is untouchable, but if he’s off, look out. Wrapping up games for the Yankees is the familiar legend, Mariano Rivera. Rivera, who has been a little bit worried about his impending free agency after the season, seems to only get better with age. He posted a 1.80 ERA in 2006, while saving 34 games for the Yanks. He did, however, miss some time with injury, which the Yanks cannot afford to have happen again this season. Look for Mariano to sort out his contract situation, stay healthy, and have another amazing season.