Tag: Joba Chamberlain

Pablo Sandoval and the 25 Most Out of Shape Players in Baseball

“Athlete” and “in shape” are often thought of as going together. It’s part of the requirement, right?

You can’t be one without the other.

Unless, of course, you are a major league baseball player. Then being fat is okay.

Maybe it’s part of the appeal millions of Americans still have to what was once the national pastime, but baseball is a sport that can be played by the short or tall, fast or slow and in-shape or out of shape.

However, some players have taken the inherent advantage of being able to coast to a whole other level. There are some diamond stars that believe it’s not just about what you do on the field, but how much you can eat off of it.

Maybe it’s the constant travel, or the need to unwind before and after the games, but these 25 players could use a little more time at the gym.

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2011 MLB Spring Training Preview: Analyzing Each Team’s Biggest Position Battle

With Major League Baseball’s spring training just around the corner, most teams are about done with their offseason shopping.

But for most clubs, that’s just the first step—even once everyone has signed, there are still big decisions to be made about who will play and where.

Here’s a look at each team’s biggest position battle heading into Spring Training.

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2011 New York Yankees: Their Colossal Mistake That Will Cost Them Greatly

Unless you have been living under a rock you already know the deal.

The New York Yankees main focus in this past offseason was to acquire starting pitching. Brian Cashman’s genius plan was to put the teams hopes, dreams and eggs all in one basket named Cliff Lee.

Cashman, ever the fool, believed that the Yankees could wave their bank account under the nose of Cliff Lee, sprinkle it with the pride, power and prestige of the Yankee pinstripe tradition and he would become giddy like some 14-year-old boy getting his first real kiss…and sign on the dotted line while trying not to drool.

The arrogance and short sightedness of Cashman is truly astounding. The colossal mistake the Yankees have made and continue to make has nothing to do with Cliff Lee. It has everything to do with Joba Chamberlain.

(If only the Yankees had a farm system like the other teams where they could develop their own talent…What? They do? Hmmm…)

The Yankees need for Lee was obvious as their rotation coming into the 2011 season was anchored by the ever steady C.C Sabathia, an as yet to be fully tested Phil Hughes (one season of 18 wins coming off another season in which he was banished to the pen does not instill massive confidence in a repeat performance), a disappointing A.J Burnett (Well, I am not sure Burnett was really disappointing more than he was just slightly off what he usually delivers…he is a career .500 pitcher, it’s not like he is Cy young material) and an unproven rookie named Ivan Nova.

They needed Lee, or any pitcher. It would be nice if they had someone in the fold that could step up.

(Joba Chamberlain is available…oh wait, never mind. The Yankees are pissed that he has not delivered on his talent even though their management of him is the real problem. It’s easier to blame the kid.)

Then of course, at the time, there was the Andy Pettitte “will he or won’t he” dance that has become annoyingly familiar in New York.

To make matters worse, the Yankee pen was full of holes.

If they lost out on Lee and Pettitte retired, the Yankees were seriously looking at a third or fourth place finish…no joke.

(Joba Chamberlain can start…but won’t because Brian Cashman is not qualified for the role he currently fills in New York. He is, in every sense of the word, unqualified.)

Lee ended up in Philly most likely due to the fact that A:) He knew he could not handle the pressure of New York B:)The treatment of Derek Jeter told him what to expect C:) He did not like the way his wife was treated by the Yankees fans in the Post Season D:) He looked at the Philly rotation with him in it and well, the man is not stupid.

I do not care what Lee has said, nor what people believe…I believe that those are the reasons, and all played a role, in why Lee chose to take the job in Philly. I look at Lee as a coward that did not want the pressure cooker of New York. He is a very smart, well paid coward though.

(Joba Chamberlain is in New York…under contract…in pinstripes…he can start…hello?)

Pettitte finally manned up and made a decision to retire most likely due to the fact that A:) The Roger Clemens trial would be a distraction for him and the team. Pettitte is a creature of habit and does not like his routines to be messed with. B:) Without Lee in the mix Pettitte would have a ton of pressure upon him to perform…Pettitte is a big game pitcher but he is most comfortable as the middle of the rotation guy, not the savior C:) He honestly wants to spend more time with his family.

I do not care what Pettitte has said, nor what people believe, I believe that those are the reasons, and all played a role, in why Andy has chosen to ride the recliner in Deer Park and not don the pinstripes in 2011.

(Joba Chamberlain was seen getting a ticket heading to Tampa to report to spring training as a reliever when the Yankees need starting pitching. Cashman is a genius, not.)

So the Yankees, in fear of facing a third or fourth place finish go out and bolster their bullpen by landing Pedro Feliciano and Alphonso Soriano (In what will go down as the biggest contract joke ever in the history of baseball…I mean seriously, Cashman is a fool. I have no doubt Soriano will deliver, but 35 million dollars with an option for him to opt out at anytime? Are you kidding me?) giving the Yankees arguably, on paper, the best bullpen in the game right now with or without without Chamberlain who figures to play a very minor role this season because, due to his past performance, he cannot be trusted.

(Of course the Yankees and their management of him plays no part…no, of course not. The boy failed on his own in a team sport, imagine that.)

However, they need starters. The market is thin. What is a team to do?

(Joba Chamberlain as a starter has an ERA in the low 3’s…I think he is on the Yankees Roster. Does Cashman know he is there? Someone should email Brian and let him know that Joba has started before. Let’s not forget he is still young and a serious investment into his talent and ability could pay off for a decade or more…but hey, it’s easier to just toss him into the pen where he can do minimal damage, right Brian?)

In desperation the Yankees go the low risk, hopefully huge return route of signing former starting studs Mark Prior, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to minor league deals. There is nothing else out there, unless you consider Chamberlain, which Cashman in his infinite wisdom won’t do.

(Didn’t the Yankees have a young kid that was a “phenom” a few years ago? No not Phil Hughes…the portly big boy whose father was always in the stands. I think his name was Joba. What? He is still on the Yankee roster? Wait, wasn’t he a starter once?)

So, where does that leave the Yankees for 2011?

A starting rotation of C.C Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J Burnett, Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia is the most likely scenario at this point for 2011. Garcia was 12-6 last season and seems to have rebounded from injury. All he has to do is out pitch Sergio Mitre, which should be possible for the veteran, and he is in.

Again, the Yankees bullpen is set with the likes of Rivera, Logan, Feliciano, Soriano, Robertson, Mitre, possibly Prior and some kid named Joba Chamberlain, who has a 1.54 ERA as a reliever. I think he used to start once upon a time but hey, why quibble over small details.

Bottom line folks…the Yankees don’t need Chamberlain in the pen, they need him in the starting rotation. Yes, the debate rages on but seriously…

As a reliever Chamberlain goes against his natural talent and thinks too much on the mound. When Joba thinks on the mound bad things happen. He is a machine…adding artificial intelligence only mucks up the mechanics.

I have watched this kid, and yes, he is a kid, pitch as a starter and a reliever.

If you have watched him as well you will agree with me that when he comes on as a reliever he thinks too much. He has a starter’s mentality. When a runner gets on base he gets unnerved. He pitches from the stretch which is something a reliever should never do. 

He tries to be too fine with his pitches. He gets rattled too easily because in his mind he knows he is only out there for a few batters, maybe one inning…but he approaches it like a starter that is rushed and thus gets rocked.

When Chamberlain was “lights out as a reliever” he came in, worked quickly, did not shake off the catcher and just threw smoke. Look back when he first came up…work quick, smoke, pump fist. Check.

When he gets rocked he takes his time, throws a lot of off speed stuff and tries to be too fine…just like a starter.

When he started and did well, he worked quickly, did not shake off the catcher and threw smoke with a nasty change mixed in. As a starter he gave up slightly over three runs per game over his career starts. That is better than every starter currently in place to pitch for the team this coming season.

The Yankees, in my opinion, are making a monumental mistake of keeping Chamberlain in the pen and not working with him during the offseason to build his stamina, get him on a serious diet, work on his mechanics and pitching with runners on.

Chamberlain, when working quickly and just trusting his stuff, is a better pitcher than Burnett, equal to Hughes, blows Mitre away and has better stuff than Garcia.

Chamberlain in the bullpen is yet another example of Brian Cashman’s lack of baseball knowledge…and arrogance and ego of not wanting to look bad by committing the Kid to start. The less he is seen the less chance he screws up, right Brian?

C.C Sabathia, Phil Hughes, A.J Burnett, Freddy Garcia and Joba Chamberlain…it’s the Yankees best option for the coming year barring some blockbuster trade that appears unlikely to happen.

Joba gets a lot of flack from fans and media alike but the Yankees management of this kid is the real problem…it’s a disgrace actually.

Let the kid pitch…

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American League East Team Previews: New York Yankees

After finishing in second place last season and not adding another world championship to their collection, the popular thought was that the Yankees would reload over the offseason. All signs pointed toward yes during their pursuit of Cliff Lee, but as it turns out, money really ISN’T everything to some people.

The challenge the Yankees will face this year will be their rotation. While CC Sabathia is a solid ace, once you get past him there are a lot of question marks. Phil Hughes looks like a solid starter, maybe not a No. 2 which is most likely where he will fall in the rotation this year, but solid.

AJ Burnett is looking to bounce back from a down year which seemed more related to his mental approach than his stuff. Joba Chamberlain, we’re being told, won’t be a starter and Andy Pettitte has decided to retire. The recent signing of Freddy Garcia at least moves either Ivan Nova or Sergio Mitre out of the rotation, thankfully for all those Yankee fans.

If Cashman can find another arm, Burnett find his way back into form and Hughes continues to develop, they could have a very good staff; if all those things don’t happen, it will be below average. Unless of course you’re holding out hope for Bartolo Colon to round into form.


Notable Losses:
Javier Vazquez, Lance Berkman, Marcus Thames 

Notable Pick-Ups: Freddy Garcia, Rafael Soriano, Andruw Jones, Russell Martin, Pedro Feliciano

While overall I still see a 90-plus win team here, the concern is not that the Yankees have declined, but how much the Red Sox have improved. On paper I would see the Yanks finishing in second once again, but this year it will be behind the Sox. Of course, that’s just on paper and there’s a reason they still play the games.

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New York Yankees: To Understand the Rotation Woes, Start at the Roots

If you’re looking for a scapegoat as you stare at the Yankees‘ funny-if-it-weren’t-so-sad starting rotation, you might as well go with Joba Chamberlain. The man’s already a human punching bag at this point, so I doubt he’ll mind.

Had Chamberlain developed as the team expected, the departure of Andy Pettitte wouldn’t feel like such a cataclysmic event.

In an ideal world, the Yankees would have entered 2011 with Chamberlain and Hughes already entrenched as established talents to pair with CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

The only issue—other than getting Burnett back on the grid, of course—would be finding a fifth starter, a problem they’d share with approximately 85 percent of the teams in baseball.

Hughes has held up his end of the bargain, an 18-game winner in 2010 who appears on his way to a productive career.

But Chamberlain’s struggles have become emblematic of the organization’s failure as a whole when it comes to developing starting rotation talent.

Think about it. Between the time Pettitte arrived on the scene in 1995 and now, how many productive starters has the minor league system churned out besides Hughes?

(I’ll give you a minute … or two … or three.)

Here’s what I came up with:

  • Ted Lilly was a young lefty with talent dealt away in exchange for Jeff Weaver in 2002. (Obviously, an awesome decision.)
  • Chien-Ming Wang wasn’t exactly homegrown (he was an amateur free-agent signing in 2000), but he developed into a legitimate front-line starter before injuries derailed his career and wiped out the team’s Taiwanese fan base.
  • Chase Wright was pretty great, if you define great as an ability to give up four consecutive homers at Fenway Park, then drop off the face of the planet like Ray Finkle.
  • Ian Kennedy was a promising right-hander with attitude issues who was shipped out of town as part of the Curtis Granderson deal.

And then there’s this sobering bit of perspective: My buddy Howie pointed out that when Hughes won his sixth career game, he set the club record for victories by a first-round pick.

How is that possible?

As history and World Series flags indicate, this obviously hasn’t hurt the franchise all that much. But the business of the game has changed in recent years.

Teams now put a far greater emphasis on homegrown pitching talent, and they’re less apt to let a young ace get to the open market. Ten years ago, the Yankees would have been licking their chops as Felix Hernandez entered his walk season.

Now they’d probably have to give up Jesus Montero, Granderson and a Derek Jeter DNA sample just to get the Mariners in the same room.

The fact that the Yankees were able to get their hands on Sabathia was an anomaly in that respect. And the whiff on Cliff Lee hurts double, since those opportunities simply don’t come around as often as they once did.

This isn’t to say the Yankees have no way of acquiring premium pitching from an outside source, but we’re learning you’ll probably have to pay outrageously for it.

Remember when the Yankees acquired David Cone from the Blue Jays for a bag of baseballs and a signed Alanis Morissette CD? Those days are over.

The Yankees seem to have 400 catchers ready for the Bronx, but it’s unclear what kind of pitching talent they have in the pipeline.

Potential No. 5 starter Ivan Nova is a mid-level prospect at best. Andrew Brackman, their 2007 first-round pick, is 25 and yet to make any impact.

Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances are raw prospects with potential, but neither are likely to make a big-league contribution until 2012 at the earliest.

So why haven’t the Yankees been able to develop their own starting pitching…and what needs to be done to change that?

These are questions best directed toward Damon Oppenheimer and Mark Newman, the brains behind the Yankees’ draft and farm strategies.

Whoever is in charge, it needs to be fixed, or the Yankees are about to become dinosaurs in more ways than one.

Dan Hanzus writes three columns a week on his New York Yankees site, River & Sunset. He can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

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11 MLB Players Who Have the Most to Lose During Spring Training

One of the biggest parts of MLB Spring Training is determining who will be the starters. As usual, there are a lot of tough position battles this year.

A lot of high-profile moves were made this offseason. There’s a lot of anticipation to see who will win those battles.

Here are the top 11 players who have the most to lose in their position battles this year.

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New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman Signs Another ‘Maybe’ Pitcher: Freddy Garcia

In 14 days, pitchers and catchers will report to their respective camps as 2011 spring training means baseball is finally back again.
 
For the New York Yankees, it means pitching tryouts will begin, as there are two big holes that need to be filled in the starting rotation.
 
GM Brain Cashman is trying to fill the fourth and fifth spots, while Yankees fans are holding their breath hoping southpaw Andy Pettitte will appear.
 
For now the auditions are among Sergio Mitre, Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon and newly signed right-handed pitcher Freddy Garcia. This is presuming Mark Prior is only trying out for the bullpen.

 
Who is Freddy Garcia?
 
Garcia is a 35-year-old, right-handed pitcher who used to have a lot of promise. Debuting in 1999 with the Seattle Mariners, Garcia was considered one top youngster in the league. In his five seasons in Seattle, Garcia was voted to two All-Star teams, came in second for Rookie of the Year and almost won the Cy Young in 2001.
 
That is not the Garcia the Yankees just signed for $.1.5 million, with another $3.6M in incentives pending on number of starts he makes.
 
This Garcia was traded in 2004 to the White Sox and played in Chicago for the next two seasons. Then it was the Phillies in 2007, where he had season-ending surgery after going making 11 starts, winning just one and posting an ERA just shy of 6.00. In 2008, Garcia made three starts as a Detroit Tiger, before heading back to the White Sox where he pitched the last two seasons.
 
The only promise Garcia has shown was last season, making 28 starts, posting a 12-6 record with a 4.64 ERA over 157 innings pitched.
 
It’s not great but the Yankees need to weigh all their options.
 
Still, Garcia is not going to be the permanent solution because he doesn’t strikeout enough batters and gives up too many home-runs. The AL East, especially the Boston Red Sox, could devourer Garcia for dinner. In 2010, Garcia only had 89 strikeouts, while giving up 23 home runs.
 
Earlier in his career, Garcia’s home run numbers were awful but his strikeout numbers were tremendous and that provided enough of a bolster.
 
Garcia wants to pitch for the Yankees and says it will motivate him, which are just words for now.
 
Garcia is a signing that could work out, but at the very least he could hold down the fort until the trade deadline.
 

So, What Are the Yankees’ Other Options?

 
With Cashman trying to make up for a mess of an offseason, Garcia doesn’t provide much comfort for Yankees fans.
 
Maybe it is time to offer Andy Pettitte too much money, so his decision to return would be impossible to refuse.
 
Still, why Joba Chamberlain is not given a chance seems ludicrous to me, as the Yankees should weigh all their options.
 
It is preposterously mind-boggling that Mitre is getting his millionth chance, while Joba is not even mentioned as an option.
 
Mitre is another Kyle Farnsworth, taking losing games over and over to a whole new level.
 
This still doesn’t seem to faze the Yankee brass, but it definitely pisses off the fans. Skipper Joe Girardi is taking a huge risk putting Mitre on the mound because it could cause a riot in the Bronx.
 
There are the prospects, which have a couple of solid arms coming off the farm. For this to work, it would entail the Yankees making a change regarding their methods of dealing with innings limits and pitching counts.
 
This fiasco will definitely make Yankees spring training a more heavily watched event, but it is surely not by choice.

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New York Yankees: A Few Offseason Notes and 2011 Hopes

A lot has gone on in New York Yankee Universe since losing to the Texas Rangers in the 2010 ALCS and handing the title of “reigning champions” over to the San Francisco Giants.
 
So, how are the 2011 New York Yankees looking heading into the season? Let’s take a look.

 
The Offseason Summary:
 
The New York Yankees headed into the offseason with high expectations, but everything seemed to take a turn for the worst.
 
Yankee Captain and New York icon, Derek Jeter’s new contract negotiations became a soap opera and the press had their claws all over it.
 
Fans were pissed, some at Jeter but mostly at the organization for the belittling and penny pitching games being played on the Captain. It all worked out in the end, but it did leave bruises behind that hopefully won’t linger too long, but you never know.
 
That followed the news that Cliff Lee was not going to play in the Bronx, but instead went back to his old team in Philadelphia.

It came as a shock because the Yankees usually get whatever they go after.
 
Now that time passed since Lee’s decision, it was a humbling experience and a needed one, particularly in Yankee Universe.

For Yankee fans, it makes them realize that not every player’s dream is to be in pinstripes; for the team, they will have to work that much harder for anything they earn this season.
 
Hey, at least Yankee-haters can’t use “the buying championships” excuse any longer, as that torch has now been lit in Boston and Philadelphia too, and that is a fact.
 
One resigning that GM Brian Cashman sealed up without much drama, was that of closer Mariano Rivera for two more seasons.
 
Owner Hal Steinbrenner, who finally took some charge and made his daddy proud too, made a vital move by adding Rafael Soriano to the roster. Soriano was the AL’s best closer in 2010 and is elated to be Mo’s set-up man.

This move gives the Yankees the best eighth and ninth arms in the game, but it also provides a back up in case Mo’s age catches up to his talents.

 

So, how do the Yankees look heading into 2011?
 
The Yankees look like one of the best teams heading into 2011 and will contend again in 2011.
 
Here are some hopes that could make the Yankees season even better:
 
1. AJ Burnett has been working his butt off this offseason, now let’s see if it pays off.
2. One of our pitching prospects is good enough to win a rotation spot.
3. Pettitte could make a decision.
4. Cashman trades for King Felix in June.
5. A-Rod and Jeter both have career years.
6. Teixiera doesn’t struggle at the plate past April.

 

Is there anything else to note regarding the 2011 New York Yankees?
 
Of course, but this list could go on forever and talk many directions so here are a few:

  • The Yankees play in the AL East and it looks to be tougher than ever.
  • The Bombers can still hit, as their line-up is atop the best in baseball list.
  • My bet is that Robinson Cano to be unbelievable this season, along with the Yankee outfield of Swisher, Granderson and Gardner. This groups production is more important in 2011, as they are the Yankee future.
  • After watching the Red Sox GM Theo Epstein win with homegrown players, Yankees GM Cashman followed that formula by growing the Yanks farm the past few seasons. So far, it has produced Phil Hughes, Brett Gardner, Joba Chamberlain, Robinson Cano and of course, the “Core Four.” Funny that Epstein and Cashman, in a sense, have traded places this offseason.
  • This season would be the time to bring up one or two formidable youngsters, at least one has to be a pitcher, and see how they fair in the Bronx. The innings limit need to be handled a lot better than the “Joba Rules” by Girardi and company.
  • Speaking of Girardi, he seems to be a good fit so far. It wouldn’t hurt if he kept his binder in the clubhouse sometimes.
  • The Yankees are not being viewed as the favorites for anything this season, as almost all predictions have been Phillies vs. Red Sox in the 2011 World Series. This group doesn’t like to be doubted and statistically, the franchise fairs better as the underdogs.

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Joba’s Last Stand? Chamberlain Enters Make-or-Break Season with New York Yankees

The narrative of Joba Chamberlain has shifted so often the past four years it’s easy to forget where it left off from one season to the next.

He’s gone from phenom reliever (2007) to promising starter (2008) to struggling starter (2009) to mediocre reliever (2010).

Rafael Soriano’s arrival in town tells us the Yankees worry the downward trending isn’t temporary. Chamberlain’s evolution from vaunted farm product to JAG (Just Another Guy) status is undoubtedly one of the organization’s bigger disappointments in recent memory.

There are several conspiracy theories as to how this came to be. A popular explanation is that he was fouled up by the choppy and ill-conceived “Joba Rules.” There’s a camp that says he never fully recovered from a shoulder injury suffered in August 2008. Others question his self-discipline—Chamberlain was downgraded from “husky” to “doughy” in 2010. Some believe he was nothing more than hype to begin with.

Whatever it is, it doesn’t appear Joe Girardi has much use for him at this point. Think back to Game 4 of the ALCS, when the manager left a warmed and ready Joba in the bullpen, sticking with A.J. Burnett to face Bengie Molina with a one-run lead and two on in the sixth inning.

I hate to bring this stuff up to you guys, because you know what happened next: Molina belted the first pitch he saw from Burnett into the seats in left and that was that. The Yankees were toast.

Girardi’s decision told you everything you needed to know about where he stood on Chamberlain. The right-hander did eventually enter the game but only after the outcome was decided. I wrote that night that I thought we had witnessed Joba’s final game in pinstripes.

Chamberlain could very well use a change in environment, a fresh start where he can hit the reset button and try this thing again. But given his salary, it’s unlikely the Yankees will give up on him just yet.

We learned Tuesday the Yankees and Chamberlain avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.4 million deal. Chamberlain—once considered the future ace of the franchise—will make just $200,000 more than Boone Logan this season. Ouch.

It’s possible the Yankees may deal Chamberlain for the starting pitching help they so desperately need. But his value is at a low point right now, making a trade for a reputable starter unlikely.

If the Yankees do keep him, there is reason to be hopeful. For the first time in his career, Chamberlain will enter a season without much in the way of expectations. No one views him as a front-end starter anymore. With Soriano’s arrival, no one sees him as Mariano Rivera’s successor, either.

Maybe being buried in the mix a bit is exactly what he needs at this point in his career. It may not be following the script the Yankees envisioned when he exploded on the scene four years ago, but at least, he’ll have the opportunity to re-write his story.

The Joba Redemption perhaps?

Dan Hanzus writes three columns a week on his New York Yankees site, River & Sunset. He can be reached at dhanzus@gmail.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danhanzus.

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New York Yankees Avoid Salary Arbitration With Chamberlain, Hughes and Logan

In a continuing effort to shore up their starting rotation and bullpen, the New York Yankees inked Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Boone Logan to one-year deals, thus avoiding salary arbitration with the trio of young hurlers, according to MLB.com.

Hughes, who earned $447,000 last season, agreed to a deal worth $2.7 million after coming off his best year in the majors.

The 24-year-old Hughes finished fourth in the American League in wins (18), becoming the youngest Yankees right-hander to win at least 18 games in the regular season since 1965 (Mel Stottlemyre).

Although his second half outings were increasingly dubious, Hughes was selected to his first All-Star team and set career highs in wins, strikeouts (146), and innings pitched (176.1) in 29 starts.

Meanwhile, Chamberlain, working exclusively out of the bullpen last season, was signed to a deal worth $1.4 million, an increase of over $900,000 from his salary in 2010 ($487,975).

Chamberlain finished third in the American League in holds (26) and posted a record of 3-4, with an ERA of 4.40, in a team-high 73 appearances.

With Andy Pettitte giving them the “Brett Favre Treatment,” the Yankees may flirt with the possibility of inserting Chamberlain, who turns 26 this year, into the starting rotation, but the current plan is to keep him in the bullpen.

New York’s fourth successful attempt at circumventing salary arbitration this offseason consisted of inking left-handed reliever Logan to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.

In 51 relief appearances for the Bronx Bombers last season, Logan was 2-0 with an ERA of 2.93 and 13 holds.

After acquiring him in a trade with the Atlanta Braves, the Yankees avoided arbitration with Logan last year, his first year of eligibility, by signing him to a deal worth $590,000.

And, for the majority of the season, the 26-year-old Logan was the only left-hander in the Yankees bullpen.

However, this coming season, the recently acquired Pedro Feliciano will join Logan as another left-handed relief option for manager Joe Girardi.

Last month, the Yankees also avoided going to arbitration with right-handed starting pitcher Sergio Mitre by signing him to a deal worth approximately $900,000.

Click here to read the original article at SportsHaze.com.

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