Joba Chamberlain once again needs new home to revive career
By Tim Haberin
2007 was eight years ago, but to Joba Chamberlain it probably feels like much longer.
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The reliever was designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers yesterday, most likely ending his stint with the club in rather unceremonious fashion. Chamberlain failed to impress much in his second year with the Tigers, posting a 4.09 ERA over 22 innings of work. His season actually got off to a promising start, and he was sporting a sub-2.00 ERA as recently as June 24. But his recent few outings were ugly; in his last three innings pitched he gave up eight hits and six earned runs, including three home runs on July 1.
It’s the latest disappointment in a long, steady fall from grace over the past several years. Fans will remember Joba as the New York Yankees wunderkind who took the game by storm upon his debut in August 2007. Chamberlain tossed 17.2 innings before allowing an earned run, striking out 22 during that span with a fastball that could hit triple digits on the gun. On a team with a farm system not exactly known for churning out young phenoms of late, Joba was garnering national attention.
Success can be a very dangerous thing, however. Eager to protect their prize, the Yankees adhered to a strict and convoluted set of “Joba rules” concerning the usage of the young pitcher. Expectations were naturally sky-high entering the following season. In early June 2008 they moved him into the starting rotation, the role he had played throughout his college and minor league careers. The results were not quite as eye-popping as in Chamberlain’s relief appearances, and the subsequent flip-flopping between the rotation and bullpen was frequently debated as to its effect on his performance.
A continuous series of events, some avoidable and some not, seemed to keep Chamberlain off balance throughout the remainder of his days in pinstripes. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011, ending his season in June of that year. As he rehabbed in an effort to return the next season, he injured his ankle in what can be best described as a “freak trampoline accident.” His final two seasons with the Yankees were his weakest yet, as he put up a lackluster 4.74 ERA in 2012-2013. The confidence and swagger that was so abundant during the stretch run of 2007 had seemingly all but vanished.
Detroit Tigers
Joba appeared to regain some of his composure in his first year with Detroit, posting a much improved 3.57 ERA over 63 innings of relief. This year looked to be heading on the same track until the recent missteps, and now it seems Chamberlain will once again need to find a new place to ply his trade.
Easier said than done. Through all the twists and turns and injuries, Chamberlain’s stuff simply isn’t what it used to be. Once so reliant on velocity to blow away hitters, his fastball now averages out at about 93 mph. His slider, once one of his sharpest tools, has also been significantly more hittable.
Chamberlain will now go through waivers and if unclaimed can become a free agent if he refuses a minor league assignment. If you’re expecting a reunion with the Yankees, don’t hold your breath. While injuries to Andrew Miller, Jacob Lindgren and others have left their bullpen a bit thin, it’s difficult to see the Yanks going down that path again (even though GM Brian Cashman has expressed an interest in bringing in a righty reliever). They have seemed far more comfortable of late seeking relief help from within.
There are always teams searching for a veteran bullpen arm, so Joba may be able to latch on somewhere to give it another go. After making his New York exit, many wondered whether he would simply benefit from a change of scenery. He will now have to hope that principle holds a second time as he appears set to leave Detroit. But in shopping his services Chamberlain will find he’s just not the asset he used to be. And time may be running out to recapture those early days.