Marchand: Joba on the Block?

I've avoided going to the ESPN-NY well too often for fear of beating a dumb horse. Who better, then, to drag out their crackerjack analysis than Joba:

While this weekend will be a celebration of what George Steinbrenner accomplished, it very well could be a tipping point about what

Joba Chamberlain

hasn't. Chamberlain's role as the eighth-inning man and, quite possibly, his Yankees future are on the clock. The Yankees will not let Chamberlain's inconsistency prevent them from making the playoffs or winning a championship. The Yankees are already looking at what is out there in terms of bullpen help. It is the key area of focus for GM Brian Cashman heading into the July 31 trade deadline. The question is: Will Cashman bring in relievers to complement Chamberlain or replace him? The BTR (Bridge To Rivera) has been unsteady all season, making this the biggest on-field issue facing the team. After Chamberlain's latest breakdown, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he would put Chamberlain out there again, but Girardi -- who tries to reveal as little as possible to the media -- didn't seem very emphatic.

snip

But the near-deal

exposed other feelings, even if the Yankees would never admit them publicly. It showed they aren't completely comfortable with

A.J. Burnett

. It demonstrated they could put All-Star starter

Phil Hughes

into the bullpen eventually. It also indicated they weren't opposed to spinning Vazquez off, perhaps in a trade for relievers. But Lee is in Texas , which makes looking internally for any bullpen help a lot more painful. This leaves it up to Chamberlain to show he can handle the eighth. The big games begin this weekend against the Tampa Rays. Chamberlain will either show he belongs or be shown the door.

Marchand is asking the right questions but coming to some strange conclusions. Joba has been inconsistent and certainly his performance has paled in comparison to what we've come to expect from Joba out of the bullpen. And yet, there sit the Yankees with the best record in baseball. That doesn't excuse Joba's performance. I certainly would have some trepidation bringning him into a tight game in the playoffs. I think most people would. So, the question remains: should the Yankees trade for relief pitching or try to solve the problem internally? Marchand makes this question confusing with this odd statement:

But Lee is in Texas, which makes looking internally for any bullpen help a lot more painful. This leaves it up to Chamberlain to show he can handle the eighth.

First, the obvious: when was it up to anyone

but Joba

to "show he can handle the eighth?" Was David Robertson going to do it for him? Girardi? Mo? Second, Lee going to Texas has

nothing

to do with the Yankees bullpen issues. There were no potential relievers suposedly heading to the Mariners and, if there were, they would still be available to the Yankees since the deal didn't happen. Lee pitching for the Rangers has little impact on the Yankees unless they meet in the playoffs. Marchand is picking his pieces for odd conclusions while ignoring Cashman's directives. Cashman would have traded some of the farm for Lee because Cliff Lee can be a difference maker. Lee could pitch alongside Sabathia and create a devasting one-two punch that would likely get the Yankees into the postseason and give them a great advantage in the playoffs. Cashman would be much less inclined to give up anything of consequence for a relief pitcher. If there are options available at reasonable costs, he might jump in, but you won't be seeing a Montero or Nunez type moving to pick up an extra reliever. And why would "looking internally for any bullpen help" be "a lot more painful?" The Yankees have built their entire bullpen over the last few seasons on minor league pitchers or guys picked up in minor trades. Jonathan Albaladejo has been lights out for AAA Scranton this season, leaving one to wonder what exactly is thaking the Yankees so long to bring him up. All that remains is what to do with Joba. He still has options which means he could be demoted to AAA to work on his mechanics. There could be some concern as to whether that move would truly benefit him as AAA hitters may be more prone to chasing Joba's bad command. That would make Joba appear to be more successful that he actually would be. The better approach would be to simply get Joba out of the higher leverage situations and throw him in earlier innings or in blowout games.  At least that wasy the damage could be minimized. My concern is that Joba's issues are not confidence but mechanical. I don't see how limiting his usage with little instruction can help him become a better pitcher. He doesn't strike you as the greatest athlete in the world and in pitching, the most important aspect of your craft is the ability to repeat your mechanics. From the fluctuating speed of Joba's fastball, it's obvious that he isn't finding his mechanics every time he goes out there. I don't know how that can be fixed when he needs to be able to pitch almost every single day and, when he's not available to pitch, he can't throw on the sidelines either. At some point, Joba needs to be deconstructed and built back up again. That sounds like a spring training move to me or possibly a starting stint after next spring in AAA. Joba needs to focus on doing everything right every time and he needs someone to make him do it. Trading Joba at this point would probably yield the least return for his value. Given that he isn't making a tremendous amount of money, it makes little sense to cut bait on a pitcher of Joba's potential when he's making less than $500,000 for the season. They won't get anything with his possible upside in return so they're better off hoping that Joba, like so many other pitchers in the past, will find his stride as he matures and learns how to pitch. --

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accredited online colleges

that offer a sports management program would be great for anyone who is interested in the business side of sports.