New York Yankees: A deep bullpen will be key to a shortened season

The Yankees bullpen will be a weapon in a short season

For the first time in two months, there is hope that the New York Yankees and the rest of Major League Baseball might be moving in the direction of restarting an extended Spring Training and possibly the regular season. When MLB stopped all baseball workouts on March 12 it was anyone’s guess as to what a 2020 season would look like if it was able to be played some point.

Many ideas and theories have been floated about over the last two months. Last week, Commissioner Rob Manfred brought a proposal to the owners, who then brought it to the Players Association for review and a discussion. The proposal included an 82-game schedule to hopefully be played in teams home and empty stadiums. There would be extra playoff teams added and the postseason would finish up in late October.

Under the proposal, teams would play their division games, as well as cross-division games with the AL East playing the NL East. A universal DH would be used so pitchers would not have to hit. If the players can come to some sort of agreement with the owners and it’s safe to get baseball back on the field, teams like the Yankees should be well-positioned to have plenty of success in a shortened 82-game season.

The Yankees most likely have a rotation that includes Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, and J.A. Happ as their top three. A delayed start around early July could also include James Paxton who would have missed their first three months recovering from offseason back surgery. Jordan Montgomery would most likely slide into the fifth spot. Let’s not forget young stars Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt as insurance arms.

One spot that would favor a shortened season for teams are clubs with strong bullpens. A starting pitcher would not be able to go more than five or six innings, especially early in the season. Having the depth that the Yankees have from Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Chad Green, Jonathan Holder, Luis Cessa and Tommy Kahnle to finish out games. It’s an advantage that the Bombers have that they can shorten a game to five or six innings with their starter to turn it over to the bullpen. It is not our of the question to see Garcia or Schmidt in the bullpen at some point either.

Yankees: 8 players unable to live up to the hype

Sometimes, the bright lights of New York are too much for some players. Here's a look at eight former Yankees who were unable to live up to the hype.

Rosters will be expanded and more pitchers for a lot of teams that should be in Triple-A will be throwing MLB innings. Whether that is starting or relieving, teams will have guys out there in a key situation that normally wouldn’t be. The deeper the bullpen in 2020, the better chance for success. The Yankees already have a deep bullpen set for a shortened campaign.