New York Yankees: Freddy Garcia Should Be Sent to the Bullpen
April 28, 2012 · Michael Moraitis · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
You would’ve thought Freddy Garcia of the New York Yankees would be able to at least last until Andy Pettitte comes back, but he simply doesn’t deserve to stay in the rotation after another horrible start against the Detroit Tigers.
Garcia went 1.2 innings and allowed six runs on five hits, bumping his ERA to 12.51. The veteran starter looks like a shell of the pitcher Yankee fans saw in 2011.
In turn, the Bombers are taxing their bullpen every time Garcia takes the ball and that’s a problem even for a team with a solid bullpen. Starts like Garcia’s wear down a ‘pen and can turn the most effective relievers into jello arms.
So what should the Yanks do?
The most immediate solution would be to swap Garcia and David Phelps, the Yanks’ current long-man in the bullpen. Phelps has been almost perfect out of the bullpen, with a few bad outings against the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers.
In the loss to the Tigers, Phelps pitched three scoreless innings. It doesn’t guarantee the 25-year-old will be be a reliable, effective starter for New York, but he couldn’t possibly be much worse than Garcia has been.
Pettitte’s return can’t come soon enough. It’s simply incredible how things always seem to work themselves out when a team like the Yankees has a supposed over-abundance at a certain position.
Instead of manager Joe Girardi having to make a tough decision, the Bombers’ skipper can’t pull the trigger fast enough.
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