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New York Yankees Name C.C. Sabathia Fifth Starter

By Kenneth Teape

Mar 29, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia (52) pitches during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 29, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia (52) pitches during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Yankees have named veteran C.C. Sabathia their fifth starter in the rotation, as he beat out fellow veteran Ivan Nova.

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The New York Yankees had one last decision to make regarding their 25-man roster heading into the regular season; who would be the fifth starter in the rotation? We got that answer Friday, when it was announced that C.C. Sabathia would be manning the fifth spot in the Yankees rotation for now.

Manager Joe Girardi announced the decision on Friday, and said part of the reason that Sabathia was given the nod was because of how he closed out last season. “A lot of it came down to CC’s September last year,” Girardi said in reference to Sabathia’s final four starts of 2016, when he went 2-1 with a 2.17 ERA. 2015 was not kind overall to Sabathia though, as he was 6-10 with a 4.73 ERA.

Girardi also made it clear that the move was not a permanent one, hinting that a change could come sooner than later if Sabathia struggles out of the gate once again. “The decision that sometimes you make in April is not necessarily what happens in May,” Girardi said.

This was a decision that was expected from the outset, as the ‘competition’ for the fifth spot never seemed like much of a competition. Given his track record as a former ace, Cy Young Award winner and 11-time Opening Day starter, it would have been shocking to see Sabathia not get a spot in the rotation. It was not something Sabathia seemed worried about.

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Earlier in the month Sabathia said that he ‘assumed’ the job would be his. On Friday he also said, “I felt like I got done what I wanted to accomplish this spring.” Hopefully he does not mean stats wise, as Sabthia had a rocky Spring Training, going 1-3 with a 5.51 ERA. While the stats were not encouraging, it was good to see Sabathia make it through the spring with no problems after his publicized break down last season when he was in rehab for the Yankees’ American League Wild Card Game.

General Manager Brian Cashman also discussed the decision to have Sabathia in the rotation, saying, “It was not an easy decision, to be honest. But ultimately, we decided that CC’s got it for now.” Like Girardi, Cashman cautioned that this is far from a permanent move, also adding, “I can’t say how long a leash he’s on, but I think any fifth starter in the game is on a shorter leash. Hopefully, that was the right call, and hopefully he’ll do well and pitch well for us.”

While Cashman and the Yankees say that the money Sabathia will be earning in 2016, $25 million to be exact, did not factor into the decision, it is hard to believe that it didn’t. It would be a tough pill to swallow to have a long reliever getting paid that much money, so the Yankees are looking to avoid that embarrassment in the early going and hope that Sabathia can pitch well enough to warrant a starting rotation spot.

If he struggles, expect Nova to get the first crack at replacing him. Nova pitched extremely well during the spring, ending it on a high note with a six-inning shutout against the Atlanta Braves when he allowed only two hits.

On Friday Nova talked about the decision, saying, “I still consider myself as a starting pitcher, but I told you guys from the beginning it was going to be a tough competition. You’re talking CC Sabathia. Even though I think I did my part to stay in the rotation, I knew, and I was preparing for that moment too.”

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Nova should get his chance in the starting lineup at some point this season, as the Yankees have as many question marks as any team in their starting rotation.

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