Joba Chamberlin

it's a great, great debate. is a stud starter more important than a stud closer? i really don't know. i don't know that there's even a consensus in baseball.

but having watched the yankees during mariano's reign, i feel he's been seen as the irreplaceable man. well, if joba can make for a smooth transition after mo, i may have just answered my own question. the bosox answered that question by putting papelbon back in the pen after swearing he was a starter.

personally, i suppose i've talked myself into going with chamberlain as a closer.

 

The Yanks still have Chase Wright and Tyler Clippard in the system.

If I were part of the Yankees brain trust, I would have Chamberlain
replace Rivera. Clearly, they have an abundance of starting power arms. But they're going to need someone to close out games. Who better than a guy with a 100mph fastball and a slider that redefines the word nasty?

 

My point wasn't that they will have the best rotation in the league, but that they are tied to enough SPs, that they are unlikely to dip into the weak FA market. Mussina may be done, but he's signed. Igawa too (though I bet he becomes a decent pitcher one day, probably with another team, was he worse than Contreras?).

 

I'm in the same camp. Mariano has really spoiled me as a Yankee fan. Although he's highly regarded, I don't think people realize how much of a void he'd leave as he nears the end of his career. He also came up as a starter, if I recall correctly, throwing a two hit complete game against the White Sox in his rookie season. But he moved into the pen as the 8th inning set up man for Wettland before becoming the full time closer. I'm just seeing a mirror image of ChamberlAin's use in the pen following the same pattern.

 

If he will be that good, I want him as a starter over a closer. If you offer me him as an old fashioned fireman (Rivera in '96, not anytime since), I'll think twice.

 

At least the Yanks have realized that home grown talent (Jeter, Rivera, Williams, Posada, Pettitte) is the talent that you need to be the backbone of the team. The Giambinos and Damons are nice, but it's the O'Neills and the Tinos of the world are much better for the team when they are matched with the local talent.

Now the Yanks have Wang, Hughes, Chamberlain, Cano, Duncan, Melky to build around. I think they will be collecting WS rings again in the next 2-3 years.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/features/262804.html

 

The point is right, but Tino & O'Neill both came over in trades.

 

True, but they were brought in to complement what was already there. Damon and Giambi were not brought in as compliments.

When Jeter hands over the C, it would be much, much better if it was to a player brought up in the Yankee system and not someone who was imported (ARod).

 

Who would you rather have: Johan Santana or Rivera in his prime? Conceivably, from what I've seen and read, that might be Chamberlain's two roads, and I don't just mean starter or closer; I'm talking potential.

 

I don't think A-Rod will be an option for a captain's C. He's not going to be with Jeter when No. 2 retires.

 

I think if you made a list of the greatest Yankees of the free agency era, you would see that most of them came through the farm.

Reggie Jackson, Clemens, Lyle, O'Neill, Matsui and Winfield are the exceptions that actually played better than what was expected before they signed. I'm sure there are more, but that was off of the top of my head.