New York Yankees: The future is now for Clarke Schmidt
Clarke Schmidt was the talk of New York Yankees Spring and Summer Camp.
One of the bright spots in the New York Yankees summer camp was starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt. He showed the confidence and a full pitching repertoire (four pitches) to get outs at the major league level.
Many thought Schmidt would stick with the club due to the expansion of the roster size. But the Yankees resisted temptation and sent him back to the alternate site for further seasoning.
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Now, the stakes have changed as the Yankees pitching staff has suffered through a never-ending amount of injuries thus far. Suddenly without any viable solutions, the team’s front office may be thinking Schmidt’s future is now.
The young right-hander caught everyone’s attention at his first big league camp this spring. Schmidt recorded a 2.57 ERA in four appearances with Yankees and continued to impress the brass following the resumption of the sport in July. His performance earned him the 2020 James P. Dawson Award as the most outstanding Yankee rookie in spring training.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone did confirm that he has received positive reports on Schmidt from team staff members at the alternate site. But the problem with bringing him up to the major league level is that Schmidt isn’t currently on the Yankees 40-man roster. Any potential move will come down to if Yankees senior vice-president and general manager Brian Cashman wants to start Schmidt’s MLB service-time clock with his callup.
The New York Yankees cannot enforce “Joba Rules” on Clarke Schmidt.
If Cashman decides to put Clarke Schmidt onto the roster, you know the move will come with restrictions. Usually, that means putting a pitch count for each start and an innings limit for the season as well. Plus, when the schedule dictates, Schmidt’s turn will be skipped to preserve his arm. For Cashman and his analytical team, it’s all about advancing the youngster’s development as a starting pitcher without the threat of overusing him.
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Remember, this is the same team that created “Joba Rules” over a decade ago. Yankees rookie Joba Chamberlain was the buzz of the American League after his debut in 2007. The young starting pitcher recorded a 2-0 mark with a 0.38 ERA in 19 appearances coming out of the bullpen that season. Chamberlain showed the right temperament in the setup role for the Yankees.
However the following season, the front office created a new set of “Joba Rules” for Chamberlain. He was going to begin the year as a starter before being transitioned back to the pen for the playoff stretch run. This approach led to inconsistent results on the mound by Chamberlain as the shifting of the roles took a toll on his psyche.
The Yankees cannot fall into this trap again. If Schmidt is going to be brought up, then Boone must define his role immediately and never deter away from that decision. The insertion of Schmidt into the rotation will help him to execute his pitches without the threat of being replaced at a moment’s notice.
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No question that Schmidt is the future of the Yankees. But the way this season is playing out, the future is now.