“Joba Rules” Will Include Stint In the Minors

By Jeff Z on February 12th, 2008 2:48 PM

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The Post’s Joel Sherman exclusively reports today on the Yankees plans for stud prospect Joba Chamberlain in 2008. According to Sherman, Joba will prepare as a starter during spring training, but will start the season in the bullpen barring injuries to the current five-man rotation. In the month of June, the plans calls for a demotion to the minors for Chamberlain, where the 22-year-old would stretch himself out over the course of 3-4 weeks in preparation for a role in the major league rotation during the season’s second half.

The Yankees see a dual benefit to the plan, as not only would it allow the organization to limit Joba to roughly 140 innings this season, it would also allow the team to use April and May as an audition period for Joba’s successor in the 8th inning, as a group that includes Kyle Farnsworth, LaTroy Hawkins, Alan Horne, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Ross Ohlendorf will be given opportunities in the “less pressurized sixth an dseventh innings.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Baseball, Yankees Rumors & News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

1 On February 13th, 2008, Ctgary said:

What The F…………
Come on are you for real. Oh come on, who thought of this?
If you want to limit his innings and the eventual goal is to develop him as a starter why not put him in the no. 5 hole. That way you can limit his innings, drop him from the rotation when deemed necessary and from the get go he is a “STARTER”. In April and May he will not be needed every 5th day so you move him into the role as a starter gradually. By September and playoff time he is ready to go every 4ht day if necessary. Please get this to Hank.
Tell him I’m available for advice as deemed necessary. Jeez with my scheme he can always go to the pen foe a week or so. Send him to the “what” in June?

2 On February 14th, 2008, Rob Abruzzese said:

Being as the Yankees only have two off days in April I don’t see how making him the 5th starter will give him more than two off days. Which would still put him on pace for 32 starts barring injury. We are talking about a guy with a injury filled past who has never thrown more than 112 innings at the professional level. And now you want to get him ready to go 32 starts? He’ll blow his arm out by August that way.

These guys are professional baseball players. You can’t just have him start whenever you feel like it. He needs to stay on a schedule of some type. He can’t just be thrown into the bullpen whenever.

I can’t think of a better way to keep his playing time relatively consistent and his innings at or around 140 for the season.