Kuzul

It’s easy for the Hiroki Kuroda doubters to come out in full force after his shaky debut with the New York Yankees, but realistically, you can take very little from any starter’s first outing of the season.

If first starts were everything, CC Sabathia wouldn’t be that good.

New York’s No. 2 starter went 5.2 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits with fours walks and two strikeouts.

Right off the bat, Kuroda got into trouble thanks to predictably shaky fielding from Eduardo Nunez. The young infielder booted the first play of the game which was a routine ground ball and should’ve been an easy out.

The Rays made the most out of the extra out and after retiring the next two batters, Kuroda’s control issues became apparent after two consecutive walks. Luke Scott would make him pay with a two-run single to give Tampa Bay an early lead.

Had Nunez made that play, it’s safe to assume Kuroda gets out of the first with a 1-2-3 inning and maybe that changes his fortunes. At the very least, he would’ve allowed only four runs and that would’ve been enough for a Yankee offense that scored six in the game.

Kuroda was lifted in the sixth inning with two outs and two runners on. Clay Rapada successfully got out of the jam without anymore damage.

Keeping the ball down will be the name of the game in Kuroda’s next start. He was missing high and often against the Rays as evidenced by the numerous fly ball outs he was getting.

It’s far too early to have a debate about a NL West pitcher moving to the AL East. Pitchers both good and bad get off to slow starts and I won’t be surprised if Kuroda does the same with his new team.

And don’t expect Kuroda to keep his ERA in the low threes like he did last season.

He’ll be right around where he was tonight and that is allowing three to four runs per start.

Doing that consistenly will help Kuroda have a career-high win total when 2012 is said and done thanks to the offensive production the Bombers will supply.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the start of the season only days away, Ivan Nova doesn’t appear to be getting any stronger for the New York Yankees, if his last outing of spring training is any indication.

So is there something wrong?

Coming into his start against the New York Mets, Nova was 1-2 with a 6.86 ERA. He allowed 15 earned runs in 19.2 innings pitched this spring.

But it didn’t get any better facing the Mets.

Nova went 2.2 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits in his last tune-up before the new year begins. It was easily one of his worst starts of 2012 so far.

Nova’s confidence seemed to take a hit after the beat down, according to Sweeney Murti of WFAN.

“Today was one of the worst days of my life…I felt good today but I couldn’t throw strikes.”–Ivan Nova.

Funny that this comes on the day when Nova was picked by Joe Girardi to be the Yanks No. 4 starter even though he had the worst numbers of any starter on the team. If not for a 16-win season and an injury to Michael Pineda, Nova might be looking at missing out on the rotation.

Don’t be shocked if Nova is the odd man out when Andy Pettitte finally returns. As we all know, nothing is promised when you’re a starting pitcher with the Yankees who isn’t making a lot of money.

Nova’s struggles during the spring are a new thing for the young right-hander. He had a much better spring in 2011 going 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA and four earned runs in 20 innings pitched.

He had the best numbers of any starter this time last year.

Whatever it may be bugging him, Nova will have time to solve it during the regular season.

Maybe the pressure of a game that means something will help motivate a guy like Nova whose been known to respond well in tough spots.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Andy Pettitte‘s much-anticipated comeback for the New York Yankees won’t officially kick-off until he gets his first start of the spring, but according to the New York Post, the Yankees legend is set to do so sometime next week.

Pettitte made his comeback announcement on March 16th, and given the normal month and a half or so it takes most pitchers to get ready for the season, the 39 year old won’t be able to take the mound until May 1st at the earliest.

According to the same report, Pettitte threw 20 pitches in batting practice on Tuesday (3/27) and then went on to throw 13 more in a simulated game. He faced four batters during the simulation.

He is expected to have another session similar to Tuesday’s on either Friday or Saturday of this week.

Look for Pettitte to take the mound for his first start of the spring on either Tuesday (4/3) or Wednesday (4/4) of next week.

In that start, Pettitte will likely throw two innings—depending upon how many pitches he throws to the first three batters he’ll face. 

However, the Bombers could be taking a slower approach with Pettitte. After all, unlike his fellow starters in the Yankees’ rotation, Pettitte didn’t pitch at all in 2011 and that might force the Yankees to bring him along a little slower.

Pettitte should get four starts in the minors during the month of April and one or two during the first week of May.

If all goes well, he should be ready to go by the second week of May, give or take a few days.

It isn’t clear, however, what the Yanks intend to do with him if their starting five should happen to be solid at that time during the season.

But that’s another story for another day, and at this moment, the only concern the Bombers should have is getting Pettitte ready for the season.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As long as there is a trade market, the New York Yankees will never be finished trying to perfect their roster as such a feat is nearly impossible in Major League Baseball.

But with an abnormal amount of depth in their starting rotation and a few players on their contract years, New York has plenty of options should they find any player on the trading block attractive.

Say, Matt Cain, Cole Hamels or perhaps a top prospect?

Wishful thinking, of course, but it doesn’t change the fact that the Yankees have a ton of trade assets this season.

Here’s a look at some players who could be traded during the 2012 season.

Begin Slideshow

I know this is the New York Yankees, and I know it’s their business of giving themselves as many options as possible each season, but bringing back Andy Pettitte for another go in 2012 shows a lack of faith in their current arms.

Let’s list all of them, shall we?

1. C.C. Sabathia (guaranteed)

2. Hiroki Kuroda (guaranteed)

3. Phil Hughes

4. Ivan Nova

5. Freddy Garcia

6. Michael Pineda

7. Adam Warren

8. David Phelps

9. Dellin Betances

10. Andy Pettitte

That’s a damn impressive list of options if I say so myself. A list that could potentially make a Boston Red Sox fan hurl.

Now, that’s not to say that this obvious lack of trust is unwarranted.

Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova only have one year of MLB experience. Nova has had a rough start to the spring thus far and Pineda’s velocity has yet to show up, something that has been of concern for general manager Brian Cashman.

Hiroki Kuroda is coming from a much weaker offensive division to the best in baseball, and he has also started spring on the wrong foot. And no matter what, if he doesn’t pitch well, manager Joe Girardi won’t hesitate to pull the plug and go with someone else.

Phil Hughes battled through a difficult 2011 season, which was plagued by injury and a lack of consistency. He certainly hasn’t earned trust during his time with the Yankees.

And his constant moving back and forth between the rotation and bullpen hasn’t earned the Yankees’ trust in Hughes’ eyes either.

But at some point, and especially with young starters, you have to show a pitcher you have faith in them to take the mound each start and win games. It builds a certain confidence in a starting pitcher that can lead to success during the year.

It’s quite the opposite when they’re looking over their shoulder at the 39-year-old Yankee legend who, with his extensive resume, has now become the greatest insurance policy in MLB history.

They need to make separate wings in Cooperstown for guys like this. It would be called the Roger Clemens wing.

And that’s not to say I’m unhappy about Pettitte returning. You’d have to be a total hater if you didn’t because there’s nobody any Yanks’ fan has more faith in, even now, in a big game then Pettitte.

Yes, that includes C.C. Sabathia.

But this deviates from what appeared to be a more forward-thinking approach with the Yankees. It seems just when the Yankees were going young and depending on their young arms, here comes the “Core Four” Bombers trying to take them to titles again.

I’m just waiting for Jorge Posada to lace up the cleats.

For $2.5 million, it isn’t a waste by any stretch of the imagination, and it can only benefit a team already rich with pitching.

As for legacy, I can see a scenario where it be may be embarrassing if Pettitte doesn’t make the roster, but let’s let Andy worry about that one.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In his second start of spring training 2012, Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees showed some control issues against the Atlanta Braves but still made some progress.

However, his issues were ones we didn’t see in his first start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pineda didn’t make it out of the third inning, and in 2.3 innings pitched, the Yanks’ newest acquisition allowed one run on four hits and handed out three free passes to Atlanta.

Control was the major problem in Pineda’s second start. After not allowing a single walk in his first outing, the young right-hander didn’t bring the same command to the mound in this one.

However, it was encouraging to see that Pineda’s velocity was up.

According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com, manager Joe Girardi mentioned Pineda reached as high as 94 MPH on the gun on Saturday, as opposed to the 92 he topped out at in his first start.

“My V-lo is coming right now,” Pineda said.

It’ll be interesting to see how consistent Pineda remains with his velocity. In the same report, Marchand also mentions work done by researcher Mark Simon, which shows Pineda’s velocity change in 2011.

Last year, in his first seven starts, Pineda’s velocity was at 95.8, according to researcher Mark Simon. In his final five starts, it was 93.1. In his final start, it was 90.6.

Any minor concerns over velocity can be put to rest if there were any.

Pineda’s lower velocity has been something he has experimented with since last season, and it could continue in 2012. Doing so will help his control and keep him stronger later in games.

We’ll have to see if it hurts his effectiveness overall. Pineda’s dip in average velocity also coincided with some of his worst pitching of the season during the second half of 2011.

As I see it, that’s one and one for Pineda this spring.

One solid start showing promise and a flash of dominance, while another start showed that work needs to be done. Expect this to be the process this spring as is the case with most young pitchers.

Just ask Jair Jurrjens.

The young Braves’ right-hander was dreadful and over-shadowed Pineda’s problems, walking six over 2.1 innings pitched and allowing three runs on five hits.

So even if you are a concerned Yankees fan over Pineda’s latest start, it clearly could’ve been much worse. But with the progress he’s shown in both starts, I have no doubt Pineda will be ready for 2012.

“I will be ready when the season starts,” Pineda said.

There you have it! 

On a side note, Marchand also reported that the Yankees will not have a limit on Pineda this season as was previously seen in the past with the “Joba rules.”

“You are hoping you would get 200,” Girardi said. “I would sign up for 200.”

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Let me backtrack for a second and tell you I must admit guilt when I said Joba Chamberlain has no role on the 2012 version of the New York Yankees. I also said that nobody should be that excited for his return.

For that, I might have been wrong.

Chamberlain is recovering from Tommy John surgery at the moment and although he is making progress during spring training, the Yanks’ young right-hander is still not slated to return until June at the earliest.

Certainly Joba will be back before the MLB trade deadline on July 31st, provided his recovery goes as planned.

All that being said, if Chamberlain can return to form and be effective out of the Bombers’ bullpen as he was in past years, New York would have an incredible trade asset on their hands.

And no, not in Joba.

I’m talking about the highest-paid seventh-inning pitcher in Major League Baseball history: Rafael Soriano.

Sori is only making $11 million this season and is set to rake in $14 million for 2013. To put that in perspective, the guy who out-pitched Soriano last season and took his job, David Robertson, is making roughly a tenth of that.

General manager Brian Cashman has made his fair share of mistakes during his tenure with the Yankees, but Hal Steinbrenner’s power grab to bring in Sori makes signing Jaret Wright look like a brilliant undertaking.

All that being said, Hal can show he’s a smarter man than that by finding a way to deal the extra closer he has sitting in the ‘pen. Don’t forget, Soriano saved 45 games for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 and is certainly capable of being a good closer for a team in need and making a playoff run.

That can be something that brings back value for New York and it would be a welcome relief for a team hell-bent on dumping payroll over the next couple of seasons.

In the end, Soriano could end up being more valuable to the Yanks in the form of a lower payroll and either promising young talent or a player ready-made to help a big-league club.

Of course, that all depends on Chamberlain.

The Yankees’ former setup man can ultimately regain that role and that starts by coming back healthy and showing he’s the caliber of reliever he was only a few seasons ago. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

You never want to say a guy has a lack of velocity after the first start of spring training, but Michael Pineda has been known to throw much harder than what we saw in his debut with the New York Yankees.

According to a tweet from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, scouts were slightly concerned over Pineda’s declined velocity from his first start of the Spring.

Scouts yesterday had #Yankees‘ Pineda at 88-91 – “and there was some effort to get to 91,” one said. Pineda averaged 94.7 last year. …. Re: Previous tweet on Pineda. Yes it’s early. But scouts were taken aback, asking each other if readings were accurate.

Keith Law of ESPN Insider also noted that the same time last year, Pineda was averaging 93-96 and that the lower velocity was “pretty light even for a pitcher’s first outing.”

But Law also believes two to three more starts are needed before anyone can worry.

A lack of velocity leading to further problems isn’t something new to the Yankees. Phil Hughes started off the same way last season before having a terrible year filled with arm issues.

And like Pineda in 2012, Hughes came into spring training overweight in 2011, so there are parallels between the two.

It is extremely early to be concerned over something like this, but it’s something that should continue to be monitored. Pineda still looked strong yesterday and was quite effective against some of the Philadelphia Philles’ better hitters.

We’ll see if this continues and what (if any) effect it will have on Pineda’s season moving forward.

Until then, I’ll have my eye on that radar gun.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In his first start of spring training and as a member of the New York Yankees, Michael Pineda looked very strong over the two scoreless innings of work he put in against the Philadelphia Phillies today.

Other than a lead off, seeing-eye single up the middle by Jimmy Rollins, Pineda was perfect. After Rollins’ single, Pineda forced Placido Polanco to ground out, which would have been a double play if not for a questionable call at second.

But that didn’t matter, as Pineda would go on to strike out the next two hitters. Shane Victorino struck out swinging on a slider in the dirt, and Jim Thome whiffed on a fastball.

Both strikeouts were a good preview of how well Pineda throws his two best pitches.

In the second inning, Pineda retired Hunter Pence, Ty Wigginton and top prospect Domonic Brown all in order for a 1-2-3 inning. Brown might have hit the hardest ball all day, but other than that, the Philly bats didn’t get great contact off the young right-hander.

Pineda showed off his newest pitch, the changeup, to a few of Philadelphia’s left-handed hitters. Although it’s coming along, there is still much work to be done. However, there’s no reason to believe the pitch won’t be ready by April.

It’s tough to comment on his velocity because there were no radar gun readings, but Pineda‘s fastball is electric and he clearly has a nasty slider that will make hitters chase it in the dirt.

This was a great first showing for the second-year man. I know it’s only his first start of spring training, but you have to be encouraged by the success Pineda had against a lineup of solid, professional hitters.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It might not be obvious now, but Phil Hughes will be one of the most watched and vital pieces to the New York Yankees’ success in 2012.

Hughes, in my opinion, will be the third starter barring a surprise (or not so surprising) lapse before the season starts. Success in that slot of the rotation will be important in giving the Bombers stability in their starting five.

We basically have a good idea what you’re going to get from CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova, but beyond that, there is no certainty. Even Nova, with only one full year of experience, isn’t exactly a given. A.J. Burnett will be a toss-up, while Freddy Garcia might have a tough time duplicating 2011.

That makes Hughes’ role monumentally more important. He could be the wild card. If you factor in health, it’s easy to make the case he’s just as big a question mark as the rest of New York’s rotation.

In his own right, Hughes needs to get it done this season. It could be one of Hughes’ last in pinstripes and if he ever wants to come close to reaching the initial expectations with the organization, he needs to do it this season.

Not a glimpse, or a good first half, but a solid season that gives the Yankees a stable 1-2-3 in their rotation. If Hughes can be that pitcher, it would take a ton of pressure off Ivan Nova, A.J. Burnett and Freddy Garcia.

It’s funny how Hughes once had the expectations of being an ace pitcher in the MLB and now, if he becomes a consistent third starter, it might actually be considered a success. Of course his performance in the postseason will have much of the say over that, but it comes with the territory.

The Yankees have their diamond in the rough this season, much like they had in Bartolo Colon in 2011. And normally, the Yanks find one of these guys off the scrap heap in free-agency that unexpectedly helps them along during the season en route to the playoffs.

Maybe what we don’t know is that the guy off the scrap heap is already on the team. And has been for what seems like forever.

I can’t imagine much of a chance left for the career of Phil Hughes as a Yankee if he doesn’t answer the call this season. He might have another year of arbitration, but he will be an inexpensive piece capable of being moved to the bullpen the following season.

At some point the Bombers will be making changes to this rotation, whether by trade, free-agency or young talent coming up through the system. If Hughes still can’t cut it, the Yanks won’t hesitate to replace him with whomever they bring in.

For Phil Hughes, the time is now and this is the biggest season of his career. For his sake, and the Yankees’, he better not blow it.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com