Ummm, not when the payroll is that high!The Yankees should have a much better bench with a payroll that exceeds the next highest team(the Mets) by close to over 60 million dollars.
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How much do you expect to be spent on the bench? What players would you slot for those positions?

Raf wrote:

When you have that many minimum salary guys on the roster, your bench and bullpen are going to be a crapshoot. It can’t be helped.
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The nature of bench and bullpen guys are crapshoots. That’s why they’re bench and bullpen guys.

Ummm, not when the payroll is that high!The Yankees should have a much better bench with a payroll that exceeds the next highest team(the Mets) by close to over 60 million dollars.Determined to keep it at 200 million? The inference is that that is a normal payroll? I should hope not. Cash Man should have constructed this team to have a much lower payroll(under the luxury tax), while going after select free agents like CC or Teix and building a better bench. In essence, for 200 million dollars this is a middling relief core AND now a so-so bench.And in the 90s the Yankees had much better bench guys, was it a function of Stick and Watson’s wisdom?And before someone mentions the luxury tax, the Yankees are spending much more than they did back in 96 and didn’t have to pay such a tax.

When you have that many minimum salary guys on the roster, your bench and bullpen are going to be a crapshoot. It can’t be helped.
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The nature of bench and bullpen guys are crapshoots. That’s why they’re bench and bullpen guys.

The Yanks team payroll has been capped at $200 million, give or take, probably by Hal, probably because their tired of paying luxury tax.

Here’s where it’s going:

A-Rod: $33 million (Hank gets the blame/credit)
Jeter: $21.6 million
Tex: $20.6 million
Burnett: $16.5 million
CC: $15.3 million
Mariano: $15 million
Jorge: $13.1 million
Damon: $13 million
Matsui: $13 million
Pettitte: $5 million now, another $5-7 million depending on the total IP.
Nady: $6.55 million
Cano: $6 million
Swisher: $5.3 million
Wang: $5 million

That’s $189 million for the top 14 spots on the 25-man roster. Another $1.3 million for the minor league bonuses of Brackman and Miranda
That leaves $10 million or so. $2 million to Jose Molina. $4 million to Damaso Marte, who, it now appears, was hurt at some point. Melky must get his $1.4 million because he has 3 years experience, and Bruney gets $1.2 million.

Now your down to 7 rosters spots, and $3.4 million, which means the last 7 spots on your 25-man must ALL be making the minmum, or just above it.

I’m sorry, but with the arguable exception of Marte, I just don’t see the “give” in that payroll budget for more expensive bench players (above the planned 4th OF (either Swisher or Nady) and Molina, and the remaining spots in the pen (after Marte and Bruney) or for a 6th starter (and the Yankees are fortunate that Joba and Hughes aren’t arbitration eligible there).

No matter how you slice it, if the Yanks are determined to hold the payroll close to $200 million at the start of the season, you have to accept 7 minimum wage players on the 25-man roster. Some of them look good, like Pena and Coke. Some of them look awful, like Ransom, Berroa, Veras and Ramirez. Some of them, we don’t know, like Albaladejo, Melancon and Robertson.

When you have that many minimum salary guys on the roster, your bench and bullpen are going to be a crapshoot. It can’t be helped.

Jeet wrote:

IDK about you guys, but I feel the Yanks need to send a lot of people down to Triple A, especially from the bullpen. I do not trust anyone in the ‘pen other than Mariano.

On paper, it sounds like a great idea BUT in reality? The bullpen is so off and on BUT why risk calling up too many new kids? Tomko might be one thing as a long man,though. One would think with 200 million being spent that there would be no holes on the bench or in the pen. My credo is: BLAME CA$H MAN! In the end I think that the Yanks will move Joba back into the bullpen. Mind you I want to see him stay in the SR BUT the way things are going they might have to do something like that this point.

What’s the old saying about fishing, Steve?

The worst day at the ballpark is better than the best day at work.

IDK about you guys, but I feel the Yanks need to send a lot of people down to Triple A, especially from the bullpen. I do not trust anyone in the ‘pen other than Mariano.

All in all, it wasn’t a terrible day – for me. Wish I could say more for the Yankees ‘tho…

“This is four games in a row for this Yankees roll. I hope there’s more left in the tank. Of course, because I’ll be at the game on Saturday, there’s always the chance that the air will leak out of the balloon. Just my luck…or so it often seems…law of averages and all.”

sorry stevo, wish you were wrong here. what a pathetic display. i know girardi doesn’t trust the bullpen, but CC hasn’t been doing the job at 110-120 pitches either. so since the bullpen is almost always ineffective and has little yankee commitment, and CC is effective pitches 1-100 and has a big yankee commitment, i’d rather protect the latter. neither are keeping runs off the board (bullpen or CC at that many pitches), so you have to think about your player. as well as trying something else. phil coke? robertson? anything but veras and albaladejo, please.