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March 13, 2006

Spots 3, 4, & 5

From Newsday -

The biggest jam for Chacon this season might be the logjam in the starting rotation. Chien-Ming Wang and Jaret Wright are competing with him for the two spots behind Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina for the first two weeks of the season. Once the schedule forces the Yankees to use a five-man rotation in mid-April, the plot thickens as Carl Pavano enters the picture.

Even a season-saving 7-3 record and 2.85 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) for the Yankees in 2005, after he was acquired from Colorado on July 28, does not guarantee Chacon a spot in the rotation for 2006. Those decisions appear to be the most difficult ones confronting Torre.

"It's tough to tell you, aside from Randy and Moose, who the other starters are going to be," Torre said. "Right now we're just digesting all the information and hope everybody gets through all these games without a problem."

This is a bad joke. The question should be "Who's # 5? Pavano or Wright?" Wang should be # 3 and Chacon should be # 4.

Can you imagine a situation where Wright and Pavano make the rotation and either Wang or Chacon do not? If that happens, Wang and/or Chacon should demand a trade - and I would pat them on the back for doing it.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at March 13, 2006 10:05 AM

Comments

Steve, this is the type of thing that makes you bang your head against the wall with Torre. Though Wright has done nothing to deserve it, Torre seems to like him. At first, I thought they were trying to save Wright the humiliation of announcing the five starters (RJ, Moose, Pavano, Wang, Chacon), but I'm really starting to think there is a real competition. It's an even bigger joke when you consider how average Wright has looked this spring. Hopefully the performances of Chacon (who has an innate ability to wiggle out of trouble) and Wang (who looked really good the other day) will force the situation and make it impossible for Torre to screw it up.

Wright was a terrible signing. The Yankees just have to face that fact. He will be a mostly-unused seven-million-dollar bullpen guy this year. That's it. Sticking Wang in the bullpen because they made a bad deal just compounds things.

Torre "threatened" to leave, but, God, I sure wish he had.

Posted by: baileywalk [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 13, 2006 10:20 AM

The question should be "Who's # 5? Pavano or Wright?"
===============

That should read "Pavano, Wright or Small." :)

Posted by: Raf [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 13, 2006 12:19 PM

Pavano and Wright should be competing for the job of who gets to carry Wang's & Chacon's luggage.

Posted by: rbj [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 13, 2006 01:30 PM