Poll: Next in Line for Fifth Starter

So Chris Capuano suffered a grade 2 quad strain this afternoon, which means he’ll be out for many weeks — certainly opening the season on the DL. That opens the door for another pitcher to make the staff, whether it’s a starter or a reliever who pushes someone from the pen to the rotation.

Who do you think should be the fifth starter to open the season? The Yankees only need one three times in April, but considering they’ve contemplated a six-man rotation, chances are they’re not going to skip the fifth starter early in the season. This can be a big opportunity for someone to step up and earn a full-time rotation spot. It’s not as though the Yankees are wed to Capuano.

Please note that we purposely left off Luis Severino. We assume he’d have won the poll in a landslide. If he shows evaluators that he’s ready to make the big leap, he might get his chance. But the odds are against it, given that he has just 25 innings above A ball.

Perhaps the better question is, who will win the fifth starter job?