Ivan Nova has completely fell off the table for the New York Yankees and it may be time to start looking at alternative options to take his spot in the rotation.
When Ivan Nova was first promoted to the New York Yankees’ starting rotation amidst a CC Sabathia groin injury in May, he proved he was worth the nod.In his first three starts with the starting staff, he went a brilliant 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA. He did not only seem destined to stay, but there was thought as to him serving as an asset this season.
However, as the right-hander’s work load has gone up so has his ERA. Over his last seven outings, he is 2-4 with a brutal 6.92 ERA, opponents have hit a stellar .313 against him, and he has allowed nine long balls.
Perhaps Nova became too comfortable in the bullpen early on and was not stretched out. Maybe he was just not up to the task. One can only speculate.
With that said, results are results. Ivan Nova is simply not pitching like a big league caliber arm. He has no business clogging up a spot in the Yankee rotation at the moment and the organization should have no problem demoting him back to the bullpen.
Sending him on a trip out to right-center field would of course mean a replacement in the starting rotation. Here are some options the Yanks have looming were they to make the correct move.
Luis Severino — 3-0, 3.19 ERA (AAA)
This is the easy option. Yankee fans have been calling for this since the moment Nova had his first poor outing.
Luis Severino, who was destined to be an anchor of the starting staff this year, underperformed to say the least out of the gates. Combine that underperformance with injury and he found himself remaining in the minors after his rehab assignment.
However, he has used the time in the minors to his advantage. Opponents are only hitting .193 against him, his WHIP is an outstanding 1.03, and he is most importantly winning games. The winning mentality and the dominant aspect of his performance brings back shades of last year, when he got called up after going 7-0 with a 1.91 ERA for the RailRiders.
While the organization wants Severino to continue to work on his command, which plagued his early season, they will certainly roll the dice if need be.
Phil Coke — 3-2, 1.89 ERA (AAA)
Remember when Phil Coke was trotting out of the Yankee bullpen in the 2009 postseason? Well, now he is an option to take the mound in the first inning.
After a brief stint in the bigs this year that featured little success for the southpaw, he was sent down to Triple-A where he is being stretched out as a starter.
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He has allowed one earned run or fewer in each of his starts and, in fact, the only time he did falter was one of the two times he came out of the ‘pen. International League opponents are hitting a weak .202 against him, he is pitching to a brilliant 0.96 WHIP, and he is simply mowing down hitters.
This may not be the glamorous option, but Coke can likely provide five innings of strong baseball as a short-term solution.
Luis Cessa — 0-0, 3.12 ERA (MLB)
Acquired this past offseason, Cessa has been up and down between Scranton and the Bronx. Currently residing on the 25-man big league roster, he has been effective when called upon out of the bullpen.
With that said, he was not anything outstanding as a starter down in Triple-A. A 3.63 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and only 28 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings over nine games (eight starts) is certainly not the output the Yanks want to see before trusting him with a spot start or two.
The positive with Cessa, however, is that his experience retiring big league hitters can serve him well rather than bursting upon the scene. He has become more accustomed to toeing the Yankee Stadium rubber under the bright lights as the season has moved along.
Chad Green — 6-6, 1.54 ERA (AAA)
By far the best option the New York Yankees have to take Nova’s role as a fifth starter. Green has flown under the radar this season while putting together a brilliant campaign in the minors.
He did in fact get one spot start against the Diamondbacks earlier in the year which did not pan out to his liking. However, that has not stopped him from solidifying his case back in Scranton.
Last night he shut down an opposition over six or more innings for a second straight start. His WHIP is currently a phenomenal 0.98 and he has struck out 82 batters in 81 2/3 innings this season.
The 25-year-old leads the International League in ERA, ranks third in WHIP, and sixth in strikeouts.
If he gets the call, he will have dominated his way to the bigs. Unlike the other candidates, regardless of how he pans out, it will be an option the Yankees will not regret. They will be calling up arguably one of the best arms throughout the entire Triple-A level.
Emmanuel Berbari covers the New York Yankees for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page. He invites you to email your questions, comments, or concerns as well.