Posada: Joba should stay in pen, Pudge "has to go."

[MaineDolFan]

Interesting...

From the NY Times:

"In a taping of "CenterStage" for YES on Monday, Jorge Posada laid out some strong expectations for himself and the Yankees for next season.

But his most blunt and interesting answer came in a word-association segment near the end of the show, when interviewer Michael Kay asked the injured catcher about pitcher Joba Chamberlain.

"Leave him in the bullpen," Posada replied flatly, before being asked to expand on his answer. "If you start him and he pitches 200 innings, he won't be able to (last).

"You're going to lose him. He's going to get hurt . . . I don't see him as a starter. I'd leave him in the bullpen."

Chamberlain opened this season in the Yankees' bullpen in an effort to limit his innings total, before he was shifted to the starting rotation in early June. He made 12 starts but was placed on the disabled list on Aug. 5 with shoulder tendinitis, before returning to his bullpen role on Sept. 2.

"I said in the spring, seeing him as a reliever, I think his body is made to be a reliever," Posada said. "This year tells you a sign, a little sign. A little tendinitis tells you a lot . . . I don't see it."

Posada, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in July to repair his labrum and a frayed rotator cuff, also believes he will be ready to resume baseball activity by February. He fully expects to be the Yankees' Opening Day catcher in 2009.

Jason Giambi isn't likely to return, but Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui already have volunteered for consideration in the first base/DH mix next season. The Yanks also could pursue a marquee free agent such as Mark Teixeira, unless Posada's shoulder forces him to be shifted to first base in the second season of the four-year, $52.4 million deal he signed last winter.

"I think everybody wants to play first base, that's what I hear," Posada said jokingly after the taping. "I want to catch . . . I will do anything possible. I don't want to play first base. I want to be a catcher."

Asked about the Yanks' trade-deadline acquisition of Pudge Rodriguez to replace him behind the plate, Posada told Kay, "Pudge, he's my friend, but he's going to have to go somewhere else.""

[EDGECRUSHER]

Health is the only reason people should think Joba should stay in the pen, because there are no other logical reasons beyond that. The Mets need bullpen help, so why don't they move Johan into the closer's role? Granted, Johan is a better pitcher at this stage in his career by far, but it's still the same argument.

200 IP of 3.00 ERA is better than 75 IP of 2.00 ERA. You don't need a great 8th inning guy if you are up by 4 runs due to an effective starter. On top of that, what good is an 8th inning guy when you are down by 6 runs due to a crappy starter?

An effective starter is always better than a dominant reliever. It's also why I think Papelbon is bets suited as a starter if he can handle it. He is amazing as a closer, but if they can add another very good starter, just start printing the playoff tickets in April.