So much for that: Yankees release J.C. Romero

August 8, 2011 by Mike Axisa 63 Comments

Via Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees have released lefty reliever J.C. Romero at his request. Romero had good numbers with Triple-A Scranton (lefties were hitting .174 off him with six strikeouts and one walk in 6.1 IP), but they must not have liked what they saw out of him given the lack of a call-up and their perpetual want for lefty relievers.

http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7

J.C., we hardly knew ye.
https://twitter.com/TheRealJeromeS Jerome S.

Panic? Panic. The difference between two lefties and one is the difference between winning the world series and dying like a starved fetus in the ALDS.
- YankeesJunkie
  
  This. However I would argue that the Yankees need three LOOGYs to get the job done in the WS along with 14 pitchers so the Yankees are the poster boys of the pro life campaign.
- MikeD
  
  The Yankees have already decided on their lefty for September and the postseason. He’s their top pitching prospect.
  - David, Jr.
    
    The tipoff was when he got promoted to AAA.
http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse

Hmmmmmm, Arthur Rhodes????
Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat

ManBan?
- Shuffle Cards for fun
  
  funny.
  - David, Jr.
    
    Not funny. They sure aren’t going to go with only Logan, and I can’t see anybody else in their system besides Banuelos.
- http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
  
  SWB will probably use him as a reliever a few times before being a reliever in the bigs.
  - http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
    
    I’d rather see him called up to make a few spot starts instead. But that’s just me.
    - http://www.twitter.com/JoeRo23 The Honorable Congressman Mondesi
      
      Seven! Seven-man rotation! AH AH AH AH AH!
      - http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
        
        Seven? That’s not enough! Noesi to the rotation!
        
        http://www.twitter.com/JoeRo23 The Honorable Congressman Mondesi
        
        Eight! Eight-man rotation! AH AH AH AH AH!
        
        http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
        
        Jim Henson would approve
        
        Jorge
        
        It’s what the Red Sox would do with all their depth.
        
        #Cashmanfailed
    - http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
      
      No that’s not just you. Thats what I want too. Manny is a starter and not a reliever. I’d rather pick up Arthur Rhodes off the scrap heap then potentially screw with Manny’s development.
      - Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat
        
        Remember how the Rays using David Price as a reliever in the 08 playoffs totally messed him up?
        
        http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
        
        thats different. the yankees are cursed with screwing up their pitchers.
        
        Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat
        
        How so? Just because of what happened with Joba?
        
        http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
        
        and Hughes.
        
        Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat
        
        That doesn’t make them “cursed” with screwing up pitchers.
        
        http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
        
        two examples are good enough for me, and considering they haven’t developed elite starting pitching in what seems like forever also doesn’t hurt my theory either.
        
        Freddy Garcia’s 86 mph Heat
        
        CMW was very good. IPK has turned into an ace (yeah, in the NL west). Ivan Nova has also worked out well.
        
        http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
        
        Chien Ming Wang was pretty good until his ankle injury.
        
        http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
        
        Chien Ming Wang was good. But not elite. Sure back to back 19 win seasons, but he was terrible in the postsesaon. Also Ivan Nova isn’t anywhere close to elite.
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
        
        considering they haven’t developed elite starting pitching in what seems like forever also doesn’t hurt my theory either.
        
        How many elite starting pitching prospects did they have before about 2007? You can’t develop what you don’t have, the Yankees completely neglected the farm system for a long time.
        
        http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
        
        Elite starting pitchers don’t grow on trees you know…
        
        http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
        
        All of these guys were ranked in the Top 100 of Baseball America’s Prospect list:
        
        Ryan Bradly #25 in 1999
        Adrian Hernandez #66 in 2001
        Brandon Claussen #37 in 2002
        
        And the reason they don’t have more is because of poor drafting. Sure, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. But considering they were once ranked ahead of the likes of Ubaldo Jimenez, Clay Buchholz, Clayton Kershaw, and Tim Lincecum i’m sure Cashman expected them to pitch like them and not disappoint.
        
        Jorge
        
        and Brien Taylor.
        
        http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
        
        Forgot about him. But the fight screwed him up. But I was just speaking under the Cashman era
        
        http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
        
        David Price was not 20 though. College ball isn’t pro ball, but there’s something to be said about being the ace on the best team in the country as well, I’m sure that experience helped Price in 2008 as well.
        
        YankeesJunkie
        
        Playing devil’s advocate here, but Manny does have twice as many professional innings than Price did before he got the call up. Even though Price was making college hitters look stupid, college hitters 99% of the time are not much better than A/A+ ball and Manny has more experience against better quality hitter than did Price. The biggest concern with Manny being 20 is making sure that his innings and pitch count are carefully looked after.
- The Big City of Dreams
  
  Unfortunately here come the Manny rules.
  - YankeesJunkie
    
    The Manny rules are fine in September, as long as he is allowed to go back as a starter at the beginning of 12′ his development should not be hampered. In addition, Manny is still so early in his development that he will probably need to go back to the pen at the end of next year as well as his innings limit will only be about 170-180 if everything goes right.
    - The Big City of Dreams
      
      Hopefully that’s the case. I would hate to see them make the same mistake again.
  - http://www.twitter.com/dpatrickg Dirty Pena
    
    Fortunately, Joe Torre isn’t still the manager, so no rules will be necessary.
    - The Big City of Dreams
      
      lol funny because it’s true
Pants Lendelton

I can totally see the Diamondbacks signing him.
- http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
  
  ….and then he’ll turn into a lights out fireman that can handle lefties and righties.
  
  Goddamn NL West
ItsATarp

Meh. D-rob, Soriano and Mo can get both lefties and righties out so it really doesn’t matter.
- vin
  
  This. A second lefty is really only useful to this team in:
  A) extra innings
  B) if the starter gets knocked out before the 5th inning
  
  Neither of which are situations that you build your roster around.
  
  Also, Corey Wade has reverse platoon splits (as mentioned in the previous post).
  
  For his career vs lhb:
  .224 .263 .328 .592
  And this season is no different:
  .189 .211 .324 .535
  
  The only LOOGY worth getting is one that is considerably better than Logan… and those guys haven’t been available.
- Rainbow Connection
  
  At least D-Rob and Soriano can.
Monteroisdinero

With a Cory Wade changeup and a DRob changeup that he needs to throw more to lefties, we don’t need another lefty!

Think outside the chalupa Joe and throw those changeups guys.
- vin
  
  As great as it was to see Robertson throw those changeups last week (or the week before?)… he’s been handling lefties just fine with his usual repetoire.
  
  vs lhb
  .169 .267 .225 with 45 k’s in 101 pa’s (and 12 bb’s). He’s been better against lefties than righties this year.
  
  If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
  - YankeesJunkie
    
    Even if he were to use it 1-3 times per week it would still be valuable as just something for the hitter to think in the back of their mind. Obviously Robertson has just been awesome with his FB-CB combo so this is not something that is completely necessary by any stretch of the imagination.
    - vin
      
      Exactly. He can throw it without straying too far from what’s already working.
Mister Delaware

You don’t need JC Romero when you have Damaso Marte coming back for the playoffs. Watch out!
- http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
  
  how many of your eggs did you put in the Marte basket today?
  - http://johnsterling.blogspot.com/ Xstar7
    
    EVERY SINGLE ONE
    
    Damaso Marte is a True Yankee(tm)
    - YankeesJunkie
      
      +1
    - http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
      
      lmao
The Big City of Dreams

I’m sure Cashman expected them to pitch like them and not disappoint.

———————-

There is probably some truth to that. If someone told Cashman that after the debut of the big 3 Kennedy is having a big yr but it’s for another club and Hughes/Joba have had seasons where they have been ineffective or hurt he would disappointed.
- http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
  
  Yeah some truth? Try all truth. When those guys are ahead of the likes of Lincecum, Jimenez, Buchholz, etc they better perform like those guys.
  
  Besides, here’s the list of Hughes in 2007: http://www.baseballamerica.com.....63445.html
  
  and Joba in 2008:
  http://www.baseballamerica.com.....65655.html
  - The Big City of Dreams
    
    I understand where you’re coming from. Those guys haven’t lived to the expectations. They have had success in their careers but there has been bouts of ineffective performance and injuries.
  - James
    
    Kinda sucks to see Nick Adenhart ranked 24th on that 08 list… as in sucks Angels fans will never get to see what the kid had in him.
    - The Big City of Dreams
      
      OFT
      
      R.I.P. Nick Adenhart
Rookie

Couldn’t respond to your post above, Jesse. (The reply button showed up as all black and didn’t work.)

But here’s what you said and what I wanted to respond:

Jesse says:
August 8, 2011 at 5:25 pm
two examples are good enough for me, and considering they haven’t developed elite starting pitching in what seems like forever also doesn’t hurt my theory either.

Response:
It seems to me that your three examples, CMW, Nova, and Kennedy, would tend to substantiate the fears of those of us who worry about the effect of using minor league starters as relievers. They pitched almost no innings in relief in the major league career. Here are their relief appearances and relief innings for those three, respectively:
Wang: 5/13.1
Nova: 4/6.0
Kennedy 2/4.0
MannyGeee

The Yankees develop pitching just fine… It just so happens that they all end up in the NL… Ohlendorf, Melancon, IPK, Wanger… all Cashman era pitchers who are producing (well, sorta) in the big leagues (again, sorta)…
- http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
  
  That’s fine. Call me when they become elite STARTING pitchers for the Yankees.
The Mick

Yes, Wang’s 13.1 innings of relief broke his foot.
- Rookie
  
  Mick,
  
  Just in case I wasn’t clear, the thread I was trying to respond to had begun with someone saying that they didn’t want to see Manny used as a reliever because of fears that it might hurt his prospects of making it as a starter and how the Yankees hadn’t had good results developing starters.
  
  Jesse pointed out that CMW, Nova, and IPK had been developed just fine.
  
  I was just chiming in that yes they had, but that they hadn’t been used hardly at all as relievers. So the fact that they had turned out fine wasn’t an argument in favor of using Manny as a reliever — that, if anything, it would show that the best examples of recently successful starting pitchers developed by the Yankees had NOT been used as relievers.
  
  Just in case my prior posting wasn’t clear…
  - http://bleedingyankeeblue.com Jesse
    
    Thank you Robbie. Believe me, the Yankees can develop relief pitching. They’re one of the best at it. It’s elite starting pitching that hurts them.