With the sunshine and warmth of the Grapefruit League nearing, the New York Yankees feel confident this year’s bullpen staff is well-armed to dominate in the American League.
“I feel a lot of the Yankees success over the years has come from a knockdown bullpen,” said manager Joe Girardi. “I feel that’s what we have here this year.”
The ageless Mariano Rivera enters his 17th season in the Bronx and time hasn’t affected baseball’s most reliable closer. The 11-time American League All-Star recently signed a two-year deal keeping the five-time World Series champion in the Bronx.
In 2010, Rivera appeared in 61 games compiling a 3-3 record, 33 saves and an astounding 1.80 ERA. Over his career, the Panama City native has a record of 74-55 with 559 saves and an equally impressive 2.23 ERA.
During the off-season, the Yankees ongoing concern was the bridge to Rivera, however Brian Cashman got the job done in acquiring free agent Rafael Soriano, giving the team a lethal one-two punch in the late innings.
“I feel like we have two closers on the ball club,” said Girardi. “We have Mariano in the ninth and Rafael in the eigth.”
Soriano, 31, had a stellar season for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2010, appearing in 64 games and compiling a record of 3-2 with 45 saves and an outstanding 1.73 ERA. In his last two seasons, the righthander has totaled 72 saves.
The Dominican Republic native spent five seasons with the Seattle Mariners before joining the Atlanta Braves in 2007 where he pitched for three seasons before moving on to the Devil Rays.
“Rafael is obviously going to give us a dynamic punch to the back end of the bullpen,” said General Manager Brian Cashman.
Coming over from the cross-town rival New York Mets, Pedro Feliciano adds a dependable and durable left arm to the Yankees pen.
In 2010, Feliciano appeared in 92 games posting a 3.30 ERA while striking out 56 in 62.2 innings pitched. The southpaw has led the major leagues in appearances for the last three seasons totaling 266 games.
Feliciano, 32, has been used primarily as a lefthanded specialist and over his career has limited opposing lefty hitters to a .214 batting average.
Boone Logan, enjoyed a successful 2010 season with the Bronx Bombers appearing in 61 games and posting a 2-0 record with a 2.93 ERA in 40.0 innings pitched.
Prior to joining the Yankees last season, Logan spent time with the Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves but struggled until donning the pinstripes.
Logan recently agreed to a one-year $1.2 million contract and will be relied on once again to retire lefthanded hitters and with the addition of Feliciano, adds depth to the lefty relievers.
With all the talk surrounding the possibility of Joba Chamberlain returning to the starting rotation, Brian Cashman and the Yankees quickly put that idea to rest announcing that the Lincoln, Nebraska native will remain in the bullpen for 2011.
Chamberlain, 26, is an interesting cog in the Yankees bullpen and will most likely get the call for middle to late inning relief. In 2010, the righthander appeared in 73 games posting a 4.40 ERA with three saves and striking out 77 hitters.
David Robertson adds another effective arm out of the pen. In 2010, Robertson posted a 4-5 record with a 3.82 ERA in 61.1 innings. In three seasons with the Yankees, the righthander is 10-6 with a 3.99 ERA.
Robertson, 25, seems to have moved up on the depth chart ahead of Chamberlain, however with an unsettled starting rotation, both pitchers may see their share of innings.
Rounding out some of the bullpen possibilities are Andrew Brackman and Rumolo Sanchez.
Brackman, the 30th pick in the 2007 Amateur Draft, stands at 6’10, 240 pounds with a 90-plus fastball. Unfortunately, the former N.C. State pitcher underwent Tommy John elbow reconstructive surgery as has yet to make his Yankees debut.
Sanchez saw limited action towards the end of the 2010 season appearing in only two games for the Yankees. The former Pittsburgh Pirate spent the season in Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre before being called up.
