The Yankees know it takes a lot more relievers than starters to win a championship. And so to arm themselves for battle, they will convert these starting minor league pitchers to the Bronx bullpen.
The Yankees seemed to grasp the importance of the bullpen long ago. And the value of the bullpen has risen in direct proportion to the importance of pitch counts and injury concerns for starters.
That’s why the Cubs have gone out and signed every available reliever not named Anthony Swarzak, including Steve Cishek, Brandon Morrow, Dario Alvarez, Hector Rondon and Anthony Bass.
The Cubbies see this as the best path back to the World Series, and a dynasty run. The Royals followed a similar path in 2015, and now everyone has gotten the memo.
It’s why middle relievers have been among the first to find a warm reception in the Cold Stove season.
Catch-22
Most teams outside of North Chicago, however, will try to find the majority of their relievers in their minor league systems; that includes the Yankees. To that end, they will convert some of their best starters into relievers.
But therein lies the rub.
A team with the best starting staff still has the best chance of being the last team standing. Look at last year’s playoffs. Teams finished in order of how well each of their mid-season acquired starter did; Justin Verlander was the best of those, and the Astros won the World Series.
Yu Darvish, meanwhile, imploded in the WS, while Sonny Gray was the least impactful of all.
And so the Yankees ended up looking no worse than the third-best team in the playoffs, while the Dodgers have gone through the off-season chanting, “We’re number two, we’re number two!”
So there is a horizon line, a place where the best use of a pitcher as a starter or reliever meets.
The Yankees will need to see that line. Use a pitcher for one dominant inning, when he is capable of doing it for six, and you limit your club’s chances over the season.
But making a mistake the other way can be far more damaging. Once you let a guy start in the show, you probably have to give him three or four chances to make a real evaluation. And if he turns out to be an ersatz player, you have given away games you cannot now get back.
That can sink a season. The Yankees, though, have some additional concerns of their own for 2018.