PITCH IMPERFECT
Capuano signing doesn't cure rotation woes
While a spoiled fan base grows increasingly frustrated that Hal Steinbrenner won’t throw good money after the bad $500 million he tossed into the pot last winter, questions about the starting rotation linger.
Will CC Sabathia’s right knee and Masahiro Tanaka’s right elbow hold up? Can Michael Pineda make 30 starts? When will Ivan Nova return from Tommy John surgery? Is Hiroki Kuroda, the most consistent starter last season, returning, retiring or going to pitch in Japan? Where do David Phelps and Adam Warren fit?
And who is replacing David Robertson in the closer’s role?
The Yankees have their fingers crossed Sabathia and Tanaka can contribute considering the financial investment in them, but nobody really knows until at least the end of spring training.
On Tuesday, the Yankees added depth to the suspect rotation by signing veteran lefty Chris Capuano to a oneyear deal for $5 million. For the fans clamoring for freeagent stud Max Scherzer or James Shields, getting Capuano doesn’t do much. Nor does it keep people from other organizations from predicting the Yankees will eventually jump in on Scherzer and Shields despite the Yankees denial that will happen.
Capuano, who went 23 with a 4.25 ERA in a dozen starts after joining the Yankees on July 24, was signed to be a starter according to general manager Brian Cashman.
“We tried to sign him last year, but we didn’t match up,’’ Cashman said of the 36yearold Capuano, who opened the season in the Red Sox bullpen and was pitching in the Rockies’ system when he was acquired by the Yankees.
If all the questions in the Yankees’ rotation are answered positively — and that rarely happens — Capuano will be the fifth starter. If those questions are met with negative responses he would be elevated and that isn’t an encouraging thought.
“There are a lot of areas you try to address like run protection and run contributions and we have im proved with [Chase] Headley, Didi [Gregorius] and [Martin] Prado at second base,’’ Cashman said of an infield that has to be better than a year ago in the field and at the plate. “We have an exceptional infield with [Mark] Teixeira, Didi, Headley and Prado.’’
While Cashman has added Headley, Gregorius, Capuano, Justin Wilson and Andrew Miller since the end of the season, more moves could be on the way.
“We are never done or finished so I will continue to be engaged in the freeagent and trade markets,’’ said Cashman, who likely would want to add a veteran reliever to help in the lateinnings, if not save situations. Free agents Jason Grilli, Rafael Soriano and Sergio Romo, all of whom have closing experience, are available.
In 40 combined outings for the Red Sox and Yankees, Capuano was 34 with a 4.35 ERA.
Had the Yankees met their goal of resigning Brandon McCarthy they might not have had an opening for Capuano. However, McCarthy inked a fouryear deal for $38 million with the Dodgers and created an opening the Yankees would have liked McCarthy, 31, to fill. In 14 starts for the Yankees last year he was 75 with a 2.89 ERA.