Yankees reliever Dellin Betances at the end of his rope

It would appear that no matter the size lead, the Yankees can no longer trust Dellin Betances. So what is the club to do with a reliever with zero confidence?

Yankees rookie manager, Aaron Boone, has gotten a lot of flack for his handling of the bullpen early this season. Though you may not agree with him pulling starters well before the 100-pitch mark, he has leaned on the strength of last year’s club, the bullpen, which should have been a wise decision.

As a “player’s manager,” I’m sure the 13 pitchers that make up the current staff are thankful for the continued optimism Boone has displayed. And as I’ve often preached, a player in a funk has a hard time getting out of it while sitting on the bench.

However, there comes the point when you can no longer give someone the benefit of the doubt. To send out a relief pitcher, with finger’s crossed, that he won’t cough up a four-run lead, only to watch him become a human pinata, does more harm than good.

This is where we find ourselves with seven-year vet, Dellin Betances. Were D-Dawg not a four-time All-Star, that once posted a remarkable 1.45 ERA between 2014-15, striking out 266 batters in 174 innings — I have not doubt, he’d be playing anywhere else other than the Bronx.

From 2016-17, Betances was still excellent — a 2.98 ERA while striking out 226 in 132.2 innings. However, cracks in the foundation began to surface.

Just last Postseason, former manager, Joe Girardi, rendered Betances useless. And although many at the time blamed Girardi for shunning Betances, perhaps ol’ Joe knew exactly what he was doing.

Now, yes, we are only 14 games into the season, and a lot can change by the All-Star break, but will the Yankees risk running Betances out there, anytime the Bombers hold the lead, praying for a favorable outcome?

Or will general manager, Brian Cashman, make a final decision on his 30-year-old reliever — one that benefits the long-term viability of both his club and Betances?

I’ve read what the fans have said on Twitter, about what they want to see done about Betances’ declining late-game ability. It looks to be about 50/50 as of now, for those that want him to stay and figure it out, as opposed to those that want him gone in a hurry.

The one tweet that left me confounded asked what the Yanks should do with Betances, though, it prefaced the post by saying Betances isn’t getting sent down to the minors, traded or released.

What kind of question is that?! So whoever typed this, apparently wants the club to see Betances keep hold of a much-needed roster spot so that he can eventually be brought in when games are out of reach, either for or against the Yanks.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but don’t waste my time by asking questions you don’t want actual responses to.

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Unfortunately, Betances is out of minor league options, so the only way he’d find his way back to Triple-A Scranton is through a DFA, one where he goes unclaimed.

But even considering his 8.10 ERA and 1.950 WHIP in six putrid innings, any number of teams would claim Betances’ low base-salary because the “potential” does exist for him to right the ship.

Which is why Betances still wears pinstripes and will continue to do so until Cashman and company become entirely fed up with his ineptness. Obviously, if the rest of the bullpen (Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson and Chad Green) weren’t struggling themselves, Betances’ departure might be sped up.

However, to a point, I understand the logic: if you’re going to wait for one of these traditionally trustworthy arms to turn it around, then the team will probably wait for all of them (albeit until midseason).

Look, I like Betances, he’s a hometown boy and has been an essential bullpen piece for the Yanks for a long time. But it doesn’t change the fact that Cashman should have floated his name out there this past winter, just to see if anyone was willing to bite.

Now, Betances’ trade value is at an all-time low, and the club is forced to hope real hard that the real Dellin shows up soon.

With one final year of arbitration remaining, should Betances end this campaign the way he’s started it, he can forget about earning anything more than the $5.1 he and the club agreed to for this season.

One thing’s for sure; I can’t see this type of relationship lasting until Betances enters free agency at the end of the 2019 season.

Considering that Betances says he’s in great form, I’m curious to know what exactly he’s doing to change his approach. As told to NJ.com:

Next: Gleyber Torres will feel the heat

"“This is the best I’ve felt in a while. Both (my fastball and curveball) I felt real good with and they just found holes with everything. The first guy got me good, but after that everything I threw was just hit. Even if I picked up the rosin (bag) and threw it, it was going to get hit. It was just one of those days. But I’ve got to continue to stay positive. Like I said, I haven’t felt like this good in a while. I like how I felt stuff-wise, but they just had good hits.”"