Yankees News: Esmil Rogers may not be the best rotation option

Esmil Rogers is likely the leading candidate for the New York Yankees 5th starter job, as he has the most starting experience out of the four pitchers (Adam Warren, Bryan Mitchell and Chase Whitley being the other three). Rogers pitched on Thursday night, and was less than spectacular, allowing three runs and five hits in only 3.1 innings.

Joe Girardi felt that Rogers is better than how he pitched, telling George A. King III of the New York Post:

"He was okay. He struggled a little bit with the breaking ball. We have seen him sharper."

Rogers is having a solid spring, even with the bad outing, as his ERA sits at 2.89 through 9.1 innings. The three runs he allowed Thursday were the first he has allowed all spring, and he realizes that one outing cannot ruin what he has done so far:

"I tried to pound the zone, got behind in the count and had to pay for it. This is one of the best springs of my career."

Actually, so far, this has been the best spring of Rogers career. Even still, Warren and Whitley have both been better than Rogers. Warren is probably the best pitcher of the bunch, yet he has value in the bullpen as a late inning reliever, while Rogers is a long reliever, which Girardi commented on, stating:

"In the discussion you could say maybe this guy could be more valuable in the bullpen and it could have something to do with it. I think you definitely think about that. When putting this together, I always talk about it being a 12-person pitching staff. Sometimes you can rob Peter to pay Paul, but you want the best 12 assembled in the spots where we are going to be best effective. We are going to look at all 12 and how they are together, how it fits the best. The thing about Adam though is I think he is extremely equipped to do both. He is a four-pitch guy. He is one of the few guys who uses four pitches out of the bullpen. I think he has grown up a lot in the last couple of years."

Regarding the fifth starter, Girardi added:

"We really need to see those guys. Obviously, you want them to pitch well and be economical, not throwing 100 pitches in four innings. We want their stuff to be consistent and that they can go every fifth day."

Warren said that the routine is not new for him, and he doesn’t mind pitching in either role:

"If it’s the bullpen it would be good to get an outing or two. I had one outing out of the bullpen last year. There is no set date for me. I have done it before and I know the routine. It’s not a big deal."

Even though Warren is likely the best option for the rotation, the Yankees would probably be wise to leave him in the bullpen. After seeing how the constant movement between being a starter and late inning reliever ruined the development of Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, the Yankees shouldn’t continue to make similar mistakes. Pitchers should know their role, and not alternate back and forth, something whoever is given the nod will likely do when Ivan Nova or Chris Capuano return.

While Rogers may not be the best option for the rotation, ultimately he is probably the best option for the entire pitching staff. As Girardi stated, it is a 12-person unit, and although Warren may be the slightly better starter than Rogers, he is a far better reliever.

Next: Jose Pirela should not be ignored

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