A look at the Yankees by position: Relief pitchers

As we move along in the Yankees spring training season I will be looking at probably the main strength of the 2011 New York Yankees team, the bullpen. I will look at guys like future hall of famer Mariano Rivera to lefty specialists like Boone Logan and Pedro Feliciano.

Closer Mariano Rivera: Ho-hum, just another season for the future hall of famer in which he posted 30 or more saves and an ERA under two. Last year Mariano posted a 1.80 ERA and saved 33. Another amazing statistic that doesn't involve strikeouts, or saves, or ERA, is the fact that for his 15th straight season, Mariano Rivera has allowed less hits in a season then innings pitched. The last time he allowed more hits than innings pitched was in 1995, which was his very first season in the big leagues, where he allowed 71 hits in 67 innings pitched. Last season with an even 60 innings under his belt he allowed just 39 hits. The guy is truely amazing, and at 41 years old the Panamanian keeps going strong. But if there is one thing that concerns you just a little it's the fact that he only struck out 45 batters in his 60 innings of work. The last time he had less strikeouts than innings pitched was in 2006 where he pitched 75 innings and collected 55 K's. The only question for Rivera is; will he be able to keep it going now that he's over 40 years old? He's had 10 different seasons in his career where he has had an ERA below two and has collected more than 30 saves in the same season, and last year was one of those years. The guy is human, or at least we think so, and he'll eventually have to slow down. But, based on his 2010 performance he shows no signs of slowing down at all.

Set-up man. Rafael Soriano: After losing on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, the Yankees looked to bolster their bullpen. And although GM Brian Cashman may not have approved of it, the Yankees front office stepped up and signed the former Tampa Bay Ray to be their set-up man until Mariano Rivera retires, even though they had to give up a 2012 first round draft pick up to their rivals. Rafael Soriano is probably the best free agent signing the Yankees had during the offseason. Last year for the Rays, Soriano posted a 1.73 ERA with a league high 45 saves, thus earning his first All Star appearance, Cy Young vote, and MVP vote. Soriano has proven he can be a closer or set-up. You know he can close, but as a set-up man with the Atlanta Braves in 2007 he had an even 3.00 ERA, but allowed just 47 hits in 72 innings pitched. And the year before with the Seattle Mariners he had a 2.25 ERA in 60 innings pitch, allowing just 44 hits. So the only question for Soriano is; how will he be able to handle New York? It's a whole new ball game pitching in the Bronx than it is Tampa Bay, Atlanta, or Seattle. But Soriano seems like a smart guy, he knows what he's doing, and the guy that follows him, Mariano Rivera, will be able to help him out like Mo did with Kerry Wood last year.

7th inning man. David Robertson: David Robertson is entering his third full season with the Yankees, and he's proven he can be a very solid reliever. Over the last two seasons Robertson has struck out 134 batters in just 105 innings pitched. That’s a very good stat especially with relievers who only pitch a short amount of time. Robertson is very valuable to this team because he can come in to face a batter or three and get a key strikeout or three to get out of a jam. The only concern for Robertson is in the first two months of the season in his career that spans from 2008, he has an ERA of 5.78 while having a WHIP of 1.83. But come June through September his ERA drops more than two runs to 3.61, and his WHIP falls to 1.37. So, the only question for Robertson is; will he be able to get off to a better start so he can have a really great season? It would be even bigger if he did, because the Yankees would have a 1-2-3 punch in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings of games in Robertson, Soriano, and Rivera.

Middle relief. Joba Chamberlain: After adding 25 pounds to his already bulky frame, Joba Chamberlain doubters came out quickly, especially for someone who had taken a lot of heat last season. But from seeing him a handful of times this spring, it looks as though he gained muscle on the upper part of his body, which could help with his inconsistent velocity on his fastball. So far this spring, in three innings of work, Joba has given up two runs and struck out a batter. Obviously, it's a little early for the jury to decide on this one, but we'll evaluate as the season goes along. As to be expected, the question for Chamberlain is; how will the added weight affect him? It will be interesting to see if he can stay consistent with his velocity on his fastball. If the Yankees can get him anywhere near what he did in 2007 they will be in good shape.

Lefty specialist. Pedro Feliciano: Feliciano switched sides in the Yankees/Mets rivalry by signing a two year, $9 million dollar deal to be one of the lefties for the Yankees out of the 'pen. This was a necessary move that the Yankees needed, because Damaso Marte will be out the majority, if not all, of the 2011 season. With the Mets, Feliciano set the Major League record for appearances from 2008-2010 with 86, 88, and 92, respectively. I don't know if the Yankees will use him that many times out the bullpen because the Yankees have another lefty specialist, Boone Logan that they can turn to. The real question for Feliciano is; will the combined 266 appearances out the bullpen finally take toll on his arm? Even though he probably won't be used as much, it will be interesting to see if it affects him.

Lefty specialist. Boone Logan: Logan was a pleasant surprise for the Yankees last year when he got called up because of the injury to Damaso Marte. In 51 games last year the lefty Logan pitched to a strong 2.93 ERA, and in his 40 innings pitched he allowed just 34 hits. The second half of the season for Logan was even better; In 34 games Logan pitched to a 2.08 ERA. Also, in his 21.2 innings pitched he struck out 25 batters and allowed just 14 hits. Unfortunately for Logan he struggled in the postseason, most notably in the ALCS against the Texas Rangers. In two thirds of an inning of work Logan gave up two runs, and he couldn't get Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton out, as he gave up hits both times he faced him, including a homer. The question for Logan is; will he be able to repeat his performance from last season? He may be competing with Feliciano as the primary lefty out of the bullpen, but he's pretty much a lock to make the trip up north with the rest of the team come later this month.

There you have it, the final Yankees preview by position. The spots in the bullpen are pretty much locked up unless someone gets injured. Stay tuned, as I will go outside the Yankees organization by looking at each division and giving a brief preview about each team.

Memo to Yankees... Sign Sori!

The Yankees are still waiting for Andy Pettitte to make his decision on weather to return or not. There have been reports that if Pettitte retires the Yankees will probably sign former Rays closer Rafael Soriano. But, if Pettitte comes back the Yankees will probably not sign Soriano. Here's an idea for Brian Cashman and the Yankees hiearchy: Sign Rafael Soriano no matter what.

The Yankees still probably have bullpen issues. After Kerry Wood signed a cheap one year deal with the Chicago Cubs the Yankees have a bit of a hole in the setup position. Yes the Yankees signed former New York Mets lefty reliever Pedro Feliciano, but he's a situational lefty. Feliciano isn't getting three key outs in the eighth inning. Right now that role will be filled by the eratic Joba Chamberlain and the streaky David Robertson, who imploded in last years postseason. Rafael Soriano would be a great fit. According to espnnewyork.com Scott Boras told the site that Soriano would be willing to take his talents to the Big Apple at the right price. Ok I made up him "taking his talents to the Big Apple" part but you get the idea.

Yes Rafael Soriano is 31 years old and yes he is pitching in the American League East if he joins the Yankees. But he has been very dominant as a setup man with the Atlanta Braves in the past. Also, if he joins the Yankees that means he won't have to face the Yankees, obviously. He won't have to face Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, and the rest of that lethal lineup. He'll still have to face Boston and Toronto, but not the Yankees with possibly five future hall of famers. Also, hes pitched in the East Coast for the last few years with Tampa Bay and Atlanta. So he's used to facing big time teams on the East Coast where baseball matters more. That will definatly help. And finally, the Yankees have the money. The Yankees lost out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes so they have tons of money available for a setup man eventhough he'd be getting closer money.

This would be a great fit for the Yankees. They'd be filling a hole in the bullpen. Soriano would be a setup man until Mariano Rivera retires then he'll slide into that role as an elite proven pitcher. A must sign for the Yankees.

Which loss could potentially hinder the Bombers more?

As all Yankee fans, if not all baseball fans, know that legends Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are free agents. And even losing one of them could hurt the morale of the club. Both have been key cogs into guiding the Yankees to five World Series championships, seven American League Championships, and making the playoffs in all but one season since 1996. Now, there is a very slim chance, if not a zero percent chance, that one of these players departs. But I am wondering, which loss would be more devastating to the franchise?

                Derek Jeter has been the starting shortstop since opening day in 1996. He has also been captain of the team since 2003. Jeter has been the face of the greatest franchise in sports for some time now and his loss would be huge.  Not to mention, he has the most hits in the history of the organization with 2926. That’s more then legends Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Reggie Jackson ever had in a Yankee uniform.

                 He has made so many clutch plays on the field including the “Mr. November” homerun against the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series. Also he made “The Flip Play” against Jeremy Giambi and the Oakland A’s the same year. Another that comes to mind is where he dove into the stands to catch a popup against the Red Sox in 2004, one of the most dramatic regular season games in the history of the Yankees. There are so many other spectacular things Jeter has done for this organization the past 15 years that can’t be topped.

                But say he was to leave. The Yankees could replace him with either current backup infielders Ramiro Pena or Eduardo Nunez, both sparkling with the glove, but weak with the bat. They could go in the free agent market and sign veteran Orlando Cabrera. Cabrera has been on a number of winning teams, but it obviously wouldn’t feel the same. Or maybe they could make a blockbuster trade with the Marlins and land Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez did have some hustling issues last year in the middle of the year, but he cleaned it up as the season went along. That would be something the Yankees would have to monitor. But remember, Robinson Cano had issues similar to Ramirez in 2008, and he’s been more than exceptional since then.

                Jeter has also been huge for the Yankees in the postseason, batting .309, including .321 in the World Series, belting 20 homers, 57 RBI and stealing 17 bases against the best pitching in the game. But I think two statistics that are completely overlooked is his runs scored and on base percentage. Jeter has scored 107 runs, while having an on base percentage of .377 in 147 games, 15 less games then the regular season, in which you face far inferior pitching. Those two stats are very important because he bats either first or second in the order and his job is to get on base and score runs to help the team. Jeter would be a monumental loss if he left. But, would it be even a more of a gut wrenching loss then if Mariano Rivera left?

                Like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera has been an icon for this franchise since ’96. Now, Rivera wasn’t a closer when they won the World Series in 1996, but he was a key member. He setup John Wetteland, who left the team after the ’96 campaign thus Rivera’s reign as closer began.

                Since 1997 Mariano Rivera has saved 554 games, and he has saved 559 games total. That’s an American League record and second all time behind Trevor Hoffman, who looks like he’ll hang up the cleats. Hoffman has 601 saves so it will take two more productive years until Rivera captures the crown, and who wouldn’t want to see it be accomplished in a Yankee uniform?

                Mariano Rivera is pretty much undoubtedly the greatest closer ever. Yes Hoffman has more saves, but he is nowhere near what Rivera has accomplished in the postseason. Also, nearly all of Hoffman’s saves have been converted as a San Diego Padre, which means he’s playing in the inferior National League. Rivera, on the other hand, has done it in the grueling AL East against the toughest opponents. For example, Rivera has a career 2.23 ERA. But, he has had an ERA less than two in 10 of his 14 full seasons, absolutely remarkable.

                The main reason why Mariano Rivera is so great is because of his postseason numbers. He has a career 0.71 ERA in 94 postseason appearances. He has also compiled the same amount of saves as the number on the back of his jersey, 42, with just a small handful of blown saves. Another remarkable stat is his 0.766 WHIP. (Walks plus hits divided by innings pitched; essentially it’s a stat that determines how many base runners a pitcher allows per inning.) Plus, in 1999 Rivera won the World Series MVP against the Atlanta Braves and the 2003 ALCS MVP against the hated Boston Red Sox. He’s been his best in the biggest games.

                If the Yankees were to somehow let Mariano Rivera leave via free agency, or him simply just calling it quits, he turns 41 on November 29^th, it would be a monumental loss. He has arguably been the most valuable player during his tenure. Now the Yankees have an abundance of options to turn to if Rivera and/or the Yankees were to do the unthinkable. They could easily turn to Joba Chamberlain or David Robertson to close games, even though they have had shaky careers in a lesser role. The Yankees could resign Kerry Wood as closer. Although that may sound like a good backup plan it really isn’t. Remember when Wood was the closer for the Cleveland Indians? Well he struggled a lot. Or they could do what the typical Yankees do by signing the best guy available. That would be Rafael Soriano. Yes Soriano has dominated as a closer with the Braves and most recently, the Rays. But, it’s a whole new ballgame when closing out games in the biggest city, with the toughest media, and with the most storied franchise in sports. Even a blip on the radar in his first appearance in Yankee Stadium could be followed by a showering of boos throughout the big ball park in the Bronx. It would defiantly be very big shoes to fill.

                Well, we’ve gone through the importance of the two biggest names on the Yankees. And I think we have our answer. At least I do. Although most Yankee fans may not agree with me, but I think Mariano Rivera would be a bigger loss then Jeter. Now, I’m not saying it’s a landslide when comparing the players, I’m just saying it’s a bigger hole to fill. Everyone always says the hardest outs to get are the final three, and that’s what Mariano Rivera specializes in. No one does it better. Yes Rafael Soriano is a great closer. But I’d sure trust an aging Mariano Rivera then anyone else in their prime. With Jeter, it would be a huge loss, not only for the fans but in the locker-room. He’s been the captain of the team. But, times have changed. I think Robinson Cano is slowly gaining the so called “face of the franchise.” status. If either player were to leave it would be a crushing blow either way, but Rivera’s would be worse.