Power Pros Forum

We all know Joba is one of the best young pitchers in the game. He has a bright future ahead of him. What do you see his role at in his career. A starter or a closer?

Here's what I'd like. I know he's going to start this year, although now with CC and Burnett I'd prefer he's the 8th inning guy. He can pitch 2 innings most relief appearences. With guys that are as good as Mariano and Job, you bascially shorten the game. A great closer shortens the game to 8 innings, but a great closer and set-up man shortens it to 6. Imagine their bull-pen then!
Here's what I see as a remote possibility though. Joba starts for 2 years. Mariano's contract is up and he retires (he doesn't consider playing longer a possibility), and Joba becomes a closer. While Joba (nor is anyone) is no Mariano, he will very likely be in a league with such guys as K-Rod and Paplebon, possibly even better.
But having 4 aces in one rotation isn't bad either haha. As long as he stays healthy, he has fantastic, Cy-Young type stuff. It's way too early to think about this, but I think he has the stuff of a hall-of-famer (Though having the stuff at this age and staying healthy/performing are two very different things).

They could do the same thing with Rivera and Whitterland (Or is it something else, i forgot his last name)
Joba 2 innings, Rivera 1 inning. However, i don't find the point of that. CC is perfectly able to pitch a complete game. Burnett can do up to 7-8, so can Chien Ming Wang. Joba can pitch 6 innings, so is Hughes, unless they sign Pettitte. Yankees have a really good bullpen, as you can see by last year, they don't need Joba in the bullpen.

I think Joba can be the swingman, setting up games for Mariano and then spot starting when somebody needs a rest.

But if Joba doesn't start, who will? CC, AJ, Wang, then who? Hughes? Pettite?