With the middle relief part of the New York Yankees bullpen struggling, a familiar face could be a source of help.
Ever since the New York Yankees decided to pull the trigger and trade key pieces of the bullpen in Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, the bullpen has looked weaker than ever.
From the beginning of the season, New York never really had depth in the bullpen outside of “No-Runs DMC.” Also, the dominant trio played a magic trick on our eyes in covering up this weakness (obviously, until two-thirds were traded off).
Every time the Bombers have blown games in the sixth or seventh inning, it’s probably because of the lack of depth and experience that resides in the middle relief unit.
One man who could be packing his bags to return to New York to help with this situation could perhaps former Yankees’ reliever Joba Chamberlain.
Some people might moan and groan when hearing that name, but if we look at the numbers, this righty would actually be an improvement over what the Yankees currently have.
Let’s take a look at some of the options that the Yankees have used as mid-relievers this season:
- Anthony Swarzak 5.90 ERA
- Kirby Yates 5.40 ERA
- Chasen Shreve 5.33 ERA
- Nick Goody 4.23 ERA
In case you haven’t noticed already, most of the options in this inadequate bullpen have used haven’t been consistent at all.
In 20 games pitched in 2016 for the Cleveland Indians, Joba Chamberlain sported an ERA of 2.25, which is not only his lowest since his best year in the Bronx (2.83 in 2012) It shows, however, he was very solid before being Designated For Assignment.
Furthermore, the only reason he was DFA was due to a 19 inning game the previous day which sparked the need for fresh arms in the bullpen.
Other than traditional statistics, his hits per nine innings was the lowest total since his stellar rookie year in 2007; his WHIP in Cleveland was the third-lowest of his career; and his home run per nine was a homer and a half (1.5) lower than it was in 2015.
If those compelling stats don’t show why he could provide a help to the Yankees, returning to the place where he came up, and had success, as a young kid could help him have a sense of urgency to dominate.
The same thing happened with Adam Warren. After being successful in pinstripes he went to “The Windy City” and was relatively defective but once he returned to the Bronx, he came back as the same pitcher that he used to be.
Joba was a staple on the Yankees for seven seasons. Like any pitcher, he had his ups and downs, but not all of it was necessarily his fault.
Remember the “Joba Rules?”
Throughout his tenure with the Yankees, he never really had a defined position which hurts pitchers. Chamberlain’s coaches would flip-flop him back and forth from reliever to starter but now if he returned he would have a set position as a mid reliever who would be pitching mostly in the sixth inning.
A reunion between Joba Chamberlain and the New York Yankees could mean success for both sides. New York will receive much-needed help in the front-end of the bullpen with veteran experience, and Joba will undergo a revitalization to his career and help show Yankees’ fans who he truly is.
