For the first time since 1994 the New York Yankees will start a season without officially naming a closer.
On Friday manager Joe Girardi he does not plan to announce either Dellin Betances or Andrew Miller as the team's ninth-inning man, implying that he will go with a closer-by-committee approach. When the Yanks signed Miller to a four-year, $36 million deal this offseason many questioned whether the left-hander would be one of the highest-paid setup men ever. Girardi was clear on the subject today, which was subject to rumors for most of the offseason.
"I really think that if you do it that way and as long as you're prepared, it has a chance to be advantageous to you,'' Girardi said of his plan for the bullpen, via Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. "My thought has been more like with a power lefty [Miller] who strikes out a lot of guys and a power righty [Betances], the lineups just might match up where one day he's the eighth-inning guy and then one day he's the ninth-inning guy a little bit better.''
Miller is about to finish spring training with a 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and eight strikeouts in eight games (seven innings) while Betances struggled to harness his velocity after a record-setting rookie campaign in 2014. The right-hander owns a 6.14 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and six strikeouts in eight games (7 1/3 innings). However, Girardi mentioned nothing about Betances' slow start in spring training having to do with the decision.
"I've talked to both guys, and they're concerned about winning more than titles,'' Girardi added. "Neither is concerned with, 'I'm this guy, I'm that guy.' That's the sense I've got from them. Now, could it iron itself out and you start to do it one way? Yes. But as of right now, we haven't felt that we have to.''
We know both relievers are capable of handling the setup role, which they did in 2014 with perhaps the best numbers among their competition, but who will eventually win the full-time closer job? This is an interesting way for Girardi to begin the season, however, it's unlikely this approach lasts for all 162 games.
Neither has expressed their preference in becoming the team's closer and instead actually downplayed that they were competing for the full-time role. Miller even said after he signed with the team that he would be fine as the setup man and do whatever he has to do to help New York win.
Conventional wisdom suggests Girardi will name Betances the closer once he settles down and regains his composure because last season the right-hander evoked memories of Rivera with his success. But Miller could also be an option since he's shown his ability to be lights out over the past two seasons after struggling in his first six years in the league.
Fans could get their first taste of the closer-by-committee system on Apr. 6.
