The last time New York Yankees starter CC Sabathia registered a meaningful campaign was back in 2012. Since then, he's just 26-27 with a 4.81 ERA in 69 starts. It's time for the veteran left-hander to take on a new role with the team.
Sabathia, 35, has gradually been breaking down over the past few seasons, and it's clear that his effectiveness as a starter has drastically diminished. As it stands, barring a left shoulder injury that keeps him sidelined for either 45 days on the disabled list or forced him to make more than six relief appearances, he'll be guaranteed his $25 million salary for 2017.
If that's the case, the Yankees need to carve out a new role for him.
Here are three reasons why the veteran needs to transition to a reliever.
The Yankees have enough problems with their starting rotation
We don't need to go down the list, but there is no guarantee that Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi or even Ivan Nova will make it through the entirety of 2016 without hitting the disabled list. Sabathia's knees are also no guarantee to hold up, so using him as a starter and putting more stress on him is bound to further wear him down.
New York can't afford to add a fifth starter to their rotation that has health issues, and if he's going to be paid $25 million in 2017, he might as well be used as often as possible to maximize efficiency and remain healthy.
Ivan Nova and Bryan Mitchell are performing well in spring training
Spring training isn't a testament in terms of how someone will perform in the regular season, but the outings thus far from Nova and Mitchell have been far superior to every pitcher on the team. Nova has allowed two earned runs on eight hits and two walks in three starts (nine innings), while Mitchell has surrendered just one earned run on five hits and a walk in three games (two starts), totaling eight innings.
As for Sabathia, the left-hander has given up three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks in two starts (just 3-2/3 innings). That's no improvement following his 2015 campaign (6-10, 4.73 ERA), and while it's understandable that he's still recovering from his alcohol issues, he has yet to prove he's a capable starter.
The perception in spring training is that Nova and Sabathia are battling for that fifth spot, and it's clear that Nova is leading the race.
The AL East is an offensive powerhouse, and the Yanks cannot afford any more iffy options in the rotation
Four of the MLB's top-10 offenses were AL East teams in 2015. The Blue Jays (No. 1), Yankees (No. 2), Red Sox (No. 4) and Orioles (No. 9) led the way as the Rays ranked 25th. However, Tampa Bay upgraded in numerous ways this offseason, and their offense is bound to improve in 2016.
Can New York really afford to have Sabathia in the rotation? He wasn't terribly consistent against AL East opponents in 2015. Check out the stats below:
Against Orioles: 0-1 with a 4.86 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in three starts (16-2/3 innings)
Against Red Sox: 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 14 strikeouts in three starts (17 innings)
Against Rays: 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in two starts (13-2/3 innings)
Against Blue Jays: 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 12 strikeouts in two starts (12 innings)
Overall, that's a 2-3 record with a 4.10 ERA
The highs and lows of Sabathia are simply too drastic for the Yankees to endure heading into a crucial season. The left-hander logged a 6.27 ERA in his losses and a 2.48 ERA in his wins. He also had a 4.58 ERA in his no-decisions.
The Yankees are also trying to usher in a younger roster, and now is the chance for them to do it. Give Mitchell a chance. Let Nova show that he's ready to go in his first full year following Tommy John surgery. New York also has a number of pitching prospects making their way up the system, so they could be ready at some point in 2016.
Additionally, moving Sabathia to the bullpen would allow them to experiment more extensively.
