Sweeny: CC Sabathia's Place Is In The Rotation
By Sweeny Murti
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CC Sabathia's rotation spot will still likely be there for him when Yankees manager Joe Girardi makes his final roster and rotation decisions Thursday.
It's almost entirely based on Sabathia's long body of work and his better numbers late last season after switching to a more stable knee brace. Also the fact that his last two starts seemed more passable than his early ones.
MORE: Cashman: Money Won't Play Factor If Sabathia Ends Up In Yankees Bullpen
If Ivan Nova had pitched for the last three weeks like he pitched Wednesday, maybe Girardi's decision would be different. But the fact is Nova didn't take the spot away, and now the Yankees will give Sabathia a chance because as a veteran he's earned the right to at least see if anything is still there.
Of course, his hefty price tag has much to do with it. It's just lip service to say that it doesn't because if a 24-year-old who was in Triple-A last year put up this kind of spring, he would be sent down and told to keep working. A baseball roster isn't always fair.
I've heard the cries from everyone who wants to "stick CC in the bullpen," but I want to ask you this: What value does he have to the team there? Absolutely zero. The guys who fill out the pen, even the long relievers, are expected to get outs. If the Yankees think Sabathia can get outs, he is a starter. If they don't, they really have no place for him. He is not suddenly going to become a lefty specialist who throws eight pitches four times a week. And the long relief role has become important enough to put a quality pitcher there. More on that in a moment.
Is his stuff diminished? Absolutely it is. Sabathia won't hit 95 on the radar gun and he won't be throwing complete games anymore. The Yankees will hope to get five or six innings of two- or three-run ball. Sabathia is entering his 16th major league season and is a couple starts away from 3,000 career innings. Most pitchers have crawled across that line, not sprinted through it. He is who he is now, and it doesn't really matter who he used to be or how much he gets paid for it.
Sabathia's leash isn't a long one, not with Nova waiting for his turn again and eyeing a big bag of free agent cash at the end of the season. But Sabathia will most likely get a chance to keep alive his streak of 505 major and minor league appearances, all as a starting pitcher.
A WANTED MAN
Bryan Mitchell made the Opening Day roster, the favorite all spring in the running to replace Adam Warren as the swingman in the bullpen. I don't want to read too much into Mitchell's great spring, but he did earn the spot, and other teams have been watching him closely for the last few years.
While teams knew not to ask for Luis Severino anymore, I've had scouts from numerous teams ask me about Mitchell the last two years in hopes the Yankees would consider trading him — there are at least a dozen teams that could slot him into the rotation right now. His arm was never a question. He has put together some impressive outings, though, and could finally be coming into his own.
That role is an odd one to fill, looking for the next Warren. You're talking about finding a pitcher who's not good enough to actually be in the rotation or in the back of the bullpen, but too good to keep in the minors. Important role, yes, but based on that job description, it's hard to find a perfect match.
REFSNYDER'S DEMOTION
Rob Refsnyder certainly had an opportunity to make the roster, but was sent back to Triple-A to get more reps at third base. I see Refsnyder as a guy the Yankees badly want on their roster, but as a defender, he is a square peg trying to fill a round hole. He doesn't have any position that's considered a natural fit anymore, and he isn't good enough at any one spot to just leave him there.
Refsnyder has a chance to earn his way back. All he needs is more reps at third base and the ability to be somewhat comfortable as a backup there. The trick will be to not let his demotion get him down to the point where it affects his hitting. It happened to Francisco Cervelli several years ago, and it took him a while to get back to being a confident player again.
NEW PODCAST
Friday on WFAN.com, we will debut my new podcast, "30 With Murti." It doesn't only rhyme nicely. It also features a weekly half-hour interview with a baseball figure or other celebrity with a baseball connection.
Natually, since I am around the Yankees all year, we will feature plenty of Yankee-related guests, including Joe Girardi in the debut episdoe. In our sit-down, Girardi discusses his views on leadership and his experiences in both Florida and New York and takes a look back at the 1996 Yankees, a team which will be celebrated this year for its 20th anniversary.
Among our guests in the coming weeks will be Gene "Stick" Michael and Emmy Award-winning actor and lifelong Yankees fan Richard Schiff ("The West Wing").
Hope you'll enjoy listening to these conversations as much as I enjoy having them.
Follow Sweeny on Twitter at @YankeesWFAN
