That said, 25 starts from 4 or 5 guys isn’t some magical number that guarantees the Yankees a World Series.
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Yes, because there are other playoff teams in those years that fit the criteria of 25 starts from 4 or 5 guys. So why didn’t they win?

With the depth of pitching coming up from the minors the need to have your staff that you started the season with make all the starts isn’t as important for this season.

To me the thing that really rings home is when comparing Boston to NY last year there starters went six plus innings 15 times more and 14 were seven or more. This directly led to NY having 80 more inning out of the pen.

If you could get the big three to produce what Tim Lincecum did last year plus Mussina being better the Yankees will be more then fine.

Lincecum 24 starts with 18 going six innings plus with nine of those 7 plus.

Your not seeing the blantly obvious problem there Steve? you pointed out yourself that in 06 they had guys that pitched that much but because 2 of them (Wright and RJ ) sucked, it didn’t matter.

But then you want to sign a guy who’ll pitch that much.. and suck just as much… ?

Look, I can see what your getting at, but even you realize that Lohse would take a Carl Pavano deal. If you abosalutely think this is important to have someone chew up innings then your better off looking to see if Livan Hernandez would take a short deal or if Shawn Chacon has any interest.

Trying to do this sort of hand waving analysis is a slippery slope. The essence of what I believe Steve is trying to say is that when the Yankees have good pitchers who don’t get injured, they are World Series contenders. If starters get injured, they don’t make 25 starts. If starters stink, they don’t make 25 starts. You can replace “they don’t make 25 starts” with “they don’t have a great shot at winning the WS” in each of those sentences and have a leg to stand on.

That said, 25 starts from 4 or 5 guys isn’t some magical number that guarantees the Yankees a World Series. Mussina can certainly become that 5.00 ERA/25+ start guy if Joe Girardi wants to keep running him out there. That’s not doing anyone any good.

So…the Yankees should sign Kyle Lohse to pitch terribly for four years, because they need ‘stability’, right?