Hello again Yankees family. This morning and for most of the
day yesterday we discussed the idea brought forth by a commenter on the blog
that suggested moving Nathan Eovaldi to the Yankees bullpen rather than
watching him give up home runs like a Little League pitcher in the Yankees
starting rotation. I thought the idea and comment was so interesting that I
turned it into a Twitter Poll this morning giving you, the fans, your say and
your take on the matter. Now it’s my turn. Should the Yankees consider moving
Eovaldi to the bullpen giving New York four potential relief pitchers that can
throw 100 MPH? Why or why not?
In a word, no. Not right now anyway so I leave that word
with an asterisk. The New York Yankees need starting pitching help much more
than they need bullpen help at this particular moment and taking from a
weakness to build on a strength doesn’t make sense to a team that states they
are in it for the long haul with this team. Sure Eovaldi sucked it up in the
month of June, I’m sorry to be so blunt but there’s no better way to say it or
sugar coat it, but lest we forget how great he was during the month of May and
for much of the second half in 2016. Pitchers go through spells and phases and
sometimes they just lose complete control of a pitch and then complete control
of their confidence resulting in a snowball effect. We just have to hope
Eovaldi is now at the bottom of the hill.
I am not one to talk up Larry Rothschild like the second
coming of Jesus by any means but he has done a lot of good things since being
hired as the Yankees pitching coach under Joe Girardi. Look at just recently
this season when Michael Pineda was struggling and posting the highest ERA of
any starting pitcher who qualified not only in the American League but in all
of baseball. It was Larry that made the suggestion to alter the arm angle and
slot a bit and the results have been encouraging. Hell, they have been more
then encouraging. They have been great and Pineda is back to being the Pineda
that Brian Cashman saw all that potential in all those years ago and the Pineda
that we all saw the potential in as recently as this spring training. Why
couldn’t or won’t Larry do the same the Eovaldi?
Could the Yankees move Eovaldi to the bullpen eventually?
Sure. Not before this current contract is up though. New York has to fix him
and they have to fix him now. They have to in order to compete and potentially
keep him and extend him and if they don’t compete they have to fix him in order
to trade him for a useful piece or two to plug in at a later time. Now if the
Yankees extend him and this continues then the option should be on the board,
much like it was with Dellin Betances in a totally unrelated situation, to get
something out of Eovaldi rather than nothing but we’re not there yet. Not even
close.
So for now Eovaldi is staying in my rotation for better or
worse and I stand behind the decision and the potential repercussions that come
along with it. It just makes too much baseball sense not to make the move at
this time. Shake your magic 8-ball and ask me again later though and I may be
singing an entirely different tune.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)