MLB - Sports Rumors

Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:15 am EDT

Joba Chamberlain will start 2009 in Yankees' rotation

By Joe Zedalis

Joba Chamberlain

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The return of the New York Yankees to the post season began Thursday with organization meetings in Tampa. The group discussed all of the Yankees' current players, including some who will be with the team in 2009 and some who will depart via the free agent market. The officials conferred on all of the team's potential free agents, as the Yankees must decide whether to bring back players such as Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu and Damaso Marte. Other free agents include Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano and Ivan Rodriguez, none of whom is expected to return.

One decision that appears to have already been made is to include Joba Chamberlain in the starting rotation. The 23-year-old righty has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen during his two seasons in the Bronx.

"The plan as of right now is Chamberlain is going to be a starter," co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner told The Associated Press outside the team's training complex. "Everybody's pretty much in agreement with that."

Among those in attendance at the meetings were Hank and fellow co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner, president Randy Levine, COO Lonn Trost, general manager Brian Cashman, assistant GM Jean Afterman, vice presidents Mark Newman, Gene Michael and Felix Lopez, and advisers Reggie Jackson and Tino Martinez. The meetings lasted into the night and are expected to continue Friday.

A report on ESPN indicated that agent Randy Hendricks has informed the Yankees that Pettitte would like to return, which would be consistent with the lefthander's answers for much of the season. Cashman would neither confirm nor deny the report. Pettitte struggled during the second half of the season while pitching through shoulder pain.

Source: New York Daily NewsNew Window

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131 Comments

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  1. davfied
    1. Posted by davfied Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:37 pm EDT

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    There is our ace.
  2. whatamellon
    2. Posted by whatamellon Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:19 pm EDT

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    this is arguably one of the only good things that are in the future of the yankees. their getting older and slower. chamberlain can only do so much. cashman needs to spend more time on draft day and less time buying old guys
  3. rclutt
    3. Posted by rclutt Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:31 pm EDT

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    That's a bad decision, he would make a great set-up man and end up a great closer when Mo retires. They're going to waste his arm while he's still young.
  4. dgilby21
    4. Posted by dgilby21 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

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    Now lets get CC and it is on.
  5. stewie
    5. Posted by stewie Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:31 pm EDT

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    HiDav how it going exciting game last nite ! I gave up and switched. then checked back as saw the score was tied watched the end As per Joba: I dont know if I like this news or not. Like him starting ,but can he last with out injury? Well its not up to me anyway. Listened to an interview this morn Kay/Boras Boras seems to feel Texceria will be staying with the Angels. Maybe he (Boras) is just positioning for $$$$$ Yanks are going after fatboy Sabbathia. Maybe a trade for Peevey with Hughes as first bait. But thats just talk right now.
  6. joarby2
    6. Posted by joarby2 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    dav...no doubt about it but he still has to learn how to throw the fastball. Reaching velocity of 100mph doesn't mean much if he doesn't know how to mix things up and keeping the hitters off balance! His fast ball does not move well...it is flat and extremely hittable!
  7. Denise
    7. Posted by Denise Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:22 pm EDT

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    Great!!! Chamberlain's got some arm power, he'll do great...
    BTW, can anyone help me here? I don't know where to get the latest 411 on Cody Ransom.
    Is he a free agent, coz if he's under contract for the Bombers, I can't get any inf confirming it.
  8. davfied
    8. Posted by davfied Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:37 pm EDT

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    Stewie,
    I did the same thing. It was 7-0. Got back and 7-7. That could be the Mo changer they needed. I hope they get Sabathia but I think he wants to play in the LA area. He was house shopping there in July.
    Joarby,
    I have to disagree with you. He showed me that he had learned quite a bit until his injury. The fastball is hard to catch up with and his other pitches are devastating. His slider id 90 & change 83-84. The curve falls off the table. If he stays healthy he will be one of the best in the league and more people will be hating the Yankees. I love it.
  9. lecitadel
    9. Posted by lecitadel Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:47 pm EDT

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    Yankees need starters. If they are counting on Hughes and Kennedy to be key contributors they are kidding themselves. If they do pitch well, that would be a present surprise. If Pettite and Moose retire, that leaves Wang and who else to pitch? Joba is a dominating pitcher, but he may be a Kerri Woods type and have to pitch out of the pen, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yankees have some serious issues to address this off-season, and just throwing $ after high profile free-agents isn't the answer, but they really have little choice because no way Hank is going to be patient enough to rebuild.
  10. davfied
    10. Posted by davfied Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:37 pm EDT

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    Denise,
    I believe Ransom is up for arbitration. I think his status will depend on what happens with Cano. I think they will keep him because of his versitality no matter if they keep or trade Cano.
  11. Jeffrey K
    11. Posted by Jeffrey K Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:50 pm EDT

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    Some things never change. Cody has always been popular with the ladies. They chanted his name everytime he came to bat when he played with the Fresno Grizzlies.
  12. bigboo's bro
    12. Posted by bigboo's bro Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    Great potential upside if he stays healthy and the bullpen can be made sound. Both big question marks. But Lonn Trost used to run the New York Lawyers' Softball League, so our future is safe if he was involved.
  13. davfied
    13. Posted by davfied Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:37 pm EDT

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    Lec,
    Pettitte decided to play again. ( reported today ). They think Moose id leaning for retirement. Your right. There are a lot of decisions to make. I glad I am not Cashman. He will be earning his money.
  14. joarby2
    14. Posted by joarby2 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    Stewie, let me fill you in on last nights' 7th and 8th innings! I was putting my kids to bed as I looked up onto my TV I saw a different pitcher! I said to myself, Kazmir is cruising along well by sending down something like 8 straigth Sox including SO to Youlk and BAY to end the 6th. Anyway, the entire 7th and 8th was all fast ball after fastball thrown by the Rays! There were 2 off speed pitches to S. Casey and that struck him out. It was like having batting pratice...the people who were caught up in this comeback did not see what I see. I shut down the TV after the 8th knowing that it was over...this game was fixed.
  15. jeffutlaw
    15. Posted by jeffutlaw Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    Joba is a huge enigma to me. Very talented, but he's coming up on his third year in the league, and they're still concerned about his innings?
    This looks like it has an injury prone tag waiting for him, we've all seen it before enough times to recognize it as it's happening, and I fear it's happening to this guy.
    Put him there with Ben Sheets. Rich Harden. Kerry Wood. Not quite Mark Prior territory, let's hope no one goes through that.
    AJ Burnette, Carl Pavano, etc. etc.
  16. joarby2
    16. Posted by joarby2 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:37 pm EDT

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    9, dav...I don't disagree with you regarding Joba! No doubt he will be the ace of the AL not just the Yanks! His fastball was moving a bid better last season but he is trying too hard to locate it rather trying to just blow them by hitters! No movements equals getting hit hard...just look at what happen last night with the Rays! All fastballs the entire 7th and 8th inning...not until after Drew's tying HR. that's when they decided to throw 2 consecutive breaking balls to strike out Casey.
  17. Milton A
    17. Posted by Milton A Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:44 pm EDT

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    big deal..at the end the result will be the same..yankees miss the postseason for a second straight year...sweet....
  18. stewie
    18. Posted by stewie Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:31 pm EDT

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    Cody Ransom is going to be a keeper for the Yanks. He s Young, shows powerand plays many positions. (wonder if he could pitch ) hes a nice player to have come off the bench, which is where the yanks were a little weak last year.
  19. Jon
    19. Posted by Jon Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:02 pm EDT

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    joba's got to be a starter, the bullpen was good w/o him this year. the yanks are gonna be better next year, idk why people think theyre suddenly gonna stink. but yet the sox could have the worst record in baseball next year and theyll still be considered amazing. jump off the wagon people.
  20. davfied
    20. Posted by davfied Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:37 pm EDT

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    Scorpion,
    You wouldn't want to back up your statement with a wager would you? Or, as I believe, are you just a Yankee hater spouting of at the keyboard !!!!!!
  21. live 4 surf
    21. Posted by live 4 surf Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:56 pm EDT

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    dav moose retire???? why he will get some cy votes.
  22. stewie
    22. Posted by stewie Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:31 pm EDT

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    Joarby I had mentioned yesterday in one of my posts that I thought that the rays switched kasmir with Shields , not to throw the game but I beleive they wanted this to go back to tampa and win it at home. Although I never said Fix , I mentioned something like ease up. could be the diet of only fastballs was ordered up by madden. If so he treading dangerous waters. THey had their emeny down and failed to go for the jugular. I played in a 2 of3 champ series once where we lost the 1st . we were losing the 2nd game 10-4 and in the 9th we scored 7 and won. the next day we had a easy 4-2 win over a lifeless rival . Has the momentum swung. or have the sox put a little fear on them. they were playing fearless before. We ll have to see
  23. Denise
    23. Posted by Denise Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:22 pm EDT

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    Thanks for the update DAV. STEWIE, just gotta say that Ransom is not very young, he's 32. Though yes, I do agree that he is an amazing hitter. I remember his avg even got up to 1.000... Saw last night's game also ( but only coz my boyfriend made me watch. And no, not a Suck fan) . It was crazy!! I hope Rays win. Anything to knock the (almost) Dead Sox out!!
  24. davfied
    24. Posted by davfied Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:37 pm EDT

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    surf,
    That is what they are saying in The Evil Empire. What will my % be on the dread-hats if Manny stays. It may take quite a court battle but I am a responsible person and my attorney knows how to bribe the judges.
  25. Admiral Ross
    25. Posted by Admiral Ross Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:46 pm EDT

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    I'd have to agree that they are pushing Joba too much. They are only looking for the here and now. If they waste his arm then is no good later. They should have him as a reliever. Yes, we do need starter but not at the expense of his arm in the process. A few years down the road they'll back to square one.

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