Yankees Pitchers And Catchers: 2015 Season Hinges On Health Of Arms
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Yankees fans will be holding their collective breaths every time any of the team's top three pitchers take the mound during the 2015 season.
The potential for injuries will float like a dark cloud over this club from spring training until October, provided the Bombers are even in the running for a playoff spot off consecutive seasons of watching the postseason from home.
When healthy, the Yankees' top three of Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia could be as good as any in baseball. The problem is each are damaged goods right now, or have to prove they no longer are.
The starting rotation will be the part of the team most under the microscope when pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Tampa, Florida, on Friday.
The pitching prize of last offseason's free agency signing period, Tanaka came over following an unbelievable career in Japan and dazzled before feeling elbow discomfort following a rough outing in Minnesota in July. The 26-year-old right-hander was eventually diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and missed more than two months.
The Yankees consulted the best minds in medicine and the consensus was that with a platelet-rich plasma injection and extended rest Tanaka could avoid Tommy John surgery, the same procedure that knocked out Mets ace Matt Harvey for the entire 2014 season.
Tanaka, who ended up 13-5 with a 2.77 ERA in 20 starts, took six weeks off, then returned and tossed some simulated games before making two starts to close the season. The results were mixed, as he followed up a solid 5 1/3-inning outing on Sept. 21 against Toronto, by allowing five earned runs over 1 2-3 innings against Boston six days later.
The Yankees have said Tanaka took part in more or less normal offseason activities and the belief is now he is healthy enough to take a cautious approach to spring training, though it's important to note his UCL is still torn and he could potentially still need surgery.
"We'll bring him along as his arm will dictate," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said earlier this week. "I'm not going to push it. As things crop up, if we need to deal with them we will. Right now, I'm just looking at him as a guy that we're going to bring along according to how his arm will allow us. I'm approaching it that he's a healthy pitcher that we just need to be aware of what the history is there."
MORE ACE (BANDAGES?)
As much as manager Joe Girardi will be worried about Tanaka's health, he'll be equally watchful of his other two top starters, Pineda and Sabathia.
Pineda made just 13 starts due to shoulder and back problems last season, but when healthy the 26-year-old right-hander put up stellar numbers, including a 1.89 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP, while allowing opposing hitter to bat just .200.
Injuries, not pine tar, have been Pineda's biggest problem ever since the Yankees acquired him from Seattle for catching prospect Jesus Montero back in 2011. Shoulder injuries kept him out of the majors during both the 2012 and '13 seasons and with him struggling to stay on the mound throughout last season, it's safe to say the Yankees would be right to have concerns going forward.
Sabathia, 34, made just eight starts last season before a knee injury ended his season. The former Cy Young Award-winning left-hander has not been dominant since going 15-6 with a 3.38 ERA in 28 starts in 2012. He then lost some velocity off his fastball and struggled through a very un-Sabathia-like 14-13, 4.78 ERA campaign in 2013.
So what the Yankees will get from him this season will be hard to predict. Is the knee healthy? Will the velocity return? Or will Sabathia have to reinvent himself? Each are questions the Yankees will want answered, and the sooner the better.
7 ARMS FOR 5 (OR 6) SPOTS
The Yankees are heading into the spring with more starters than they will end up bringing up north. Barring something unforeseen, Tanaka, Pineda and Sabathia are locks. Ivan Nova, who is on the road back from Tommy John surgery, is expected to rejoin the club in June.
But that still leaves some intrigue with three guys vying for two spots, provided Girardi and Rothschild don't opt for a six-man rotation early to take some of the physical pressure off the big three up top. Assuming the Yankees open the season with a five-man rotation, the final two spots will be determined by the performances of newcomer Nathan Eovaldi, former reliever Adam Warren and veteran southpaw Chris Capuano.
Eovaldi is likely the front-runner for a spot considering his impressive tools. Rothschild will be out to harness the 25-year-old right-hander's big arm and turn him into a traditional power pitcher, something he wasn't during his time with Miami last season.
Warren, who went 3-6 with a 2.97 ERA in 69 appearances last season, is to begin the spring as a starter but could easily be returned to a set-up role in the bullpen. Capuano, who was more or less effective in 12 starts last season as a stop-gap option, could be a long man out of the 'pen if he fails to impress.
WHO WILL CLOSE?
Well, we know it won't be David Robertson. The veteran right-hander had 39 saves for the Yankees last season but signed a four-year deal with the Chicago White Sox.
For the time being it appears that newcomer Andrew Miller and righty All-Star Dellin Betances will share the closing duties. Both are big strikeout artists who opposing hitters struggled to solve last season. Betances, who stands 6-foot-8, allowed a .149 average, while opponents hit just .153 against Miller, who is 6-7.
After those two, the Bombers' bullpen will likely consist of some new faces, including right-hander David Carpenter and lefty Justin Wilson joining righty Esmil Rogers, who was signed during the 2014 season.
Chase Whitley and Chasen Shreve are among those who will be vying for the final bullpen spots.
BACKUP CATCHER BATTLE
Brian McCann struggled at the plate during his first season as the Yankees' starting catcher, but was often lauded for how he handled the many different pitchers that were forced into the equation due to injuries.
The leading candidates to back up McCann are youngsters John Ryan Murphy and Austin Romine.
Murphy, 23, appeared in 32 games for the Yankees last season, hitting .284 with nine RBI. Romine appeared in seven games with the big club and hit .242 with six homers and 33 RBI in 81 games for Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre.
