Yankees offseason addition's disastrous spring training is fueling the doubters

The acquisition of Angel Chivilli and his 7.06 ERA last season with the Colorado Rockies was not worth raging over at the time of the trade. It was not worth raging over even when TJ Rumfield, the first baseman the Yankees gave up in exchange for him, started mashing home runs in the Cactus League. It's still not worth raging over after another implosion that pushed Chivilli well past the edge of the roster bubble and into a crate labeled "Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Somerset?)".

But the Yankees' propensity for choosing projects over sure things due to lower acquisition cost? Their innate desire to try to outsmart the world rather than choosing the (Jake) bird in the hand? That deserves scrutiny. Always has. Always will.

A wise man once said that Chivilli could serve as a direct test case of the Yankees' self-importance. If Matt Blake had an immediate fix in mind and his fastball immediately found stability out of Coors Field, then that would earn a big "hell yeah" with two bullpen spots up for grabs. If not, the surface story would instead take hold. The Yankees' sole bullpen additions this offseason would've been a Rule 5 guy and one of the worst pitchers on the game's worst team.

Ok, fine, that wise man was me. But a month and a half into the grand experiment, Chivilli no longer has a chance to make the Opening Day roster, and another wonky outing Monday left his ERA at 15.43 across five games.

Yankees' bullpen depth chart still uncertain as Angel Chivilli implodes

It may happen someday. But the Yankees needed something to happen right this second to build a bridge. Cade Winquest, the Rule 5 arm, may be gone in a week. Jake Bird, last summer's supposed Rockies redemption story, blew up on Monday night, too. With at least two round holes to fill, the Yankees appear to have collected all square pegs with misshapen heaters. None of those square pegs have mastered command or a mysterious third pitch. They're just pegs.

Sometimes the Rockies' worst hurler isn't buried treasure. He's simply ineffective, for reasons beyond the thin mountain air.

There's no debate to be had. There's no anguish to be found. Chivilli might someday harness his vertical break or find the corners or do any number of things that successful pitchers do that can't be taught overnight. He might not. He probably won't.

But the Yankees should've made Chivilli their sixth-most crucial bullpen addition this winter, and he was kind of their No. 2. That was never going to fly, and every time he trots out for a Grapefruit League appearance, it's another necessary reminder of the Yankees' collective hubris. Matt Blake can do it all. Except this. He can't do this. He can't do Jake Bird, either. Or Winquest.

Robert Suarez would've been nice.