What Will Happen to Yankees' Surprise 2014 Pitching Assets Next Season?

You're lying if you guessed during spring training that the New York Yankees' starting rotation in September would feature the likes of Shane Greene, Chris Capuano and Brandon McCarthy.

Of course, the circumstances have necessitated such decisions.

The rotation has been ravaged by injuries. CC Sabathia made just eight starts this year. Ivan Nova took the bump four times. Masahiro Tanaka toed the rubber 18 times. Those three were expected to be massive contributors to this year's team.

Instead, they've spent significant time on the disabled list.

Several unheralded arms and used parts have stepped up in their stead. Many of them have proven themselves worthy of roles on the team next season. But what happens when Sabathia, Nova and Tanaka return?

Hiroki Kuroda may not come back following his age-39 season, but with the aforementioned three and Michael Pineda entrenched in four spots, there seems to be far too many qualified arms for the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

With a few weeks left to audition, expect the thought of a prominent role in 2015 to be on all of their minds.

1. Shane Greene

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Shane Greene has been one of the biggest surprises for the Yankees this season.

Over 12 games (11 starts), the 25-year-old right-hander sports a 3.57 ERA (4.01 FIP), 1.381 WHIP and a 4-3 record. His poise against rivals (the Boston Red Sox) and top American League teams (the Detroit Tigers) has given manager Joe Girardi confidence whenever he takes the mound.

But will that translate to a glorified spot in the rotation in 2015?

It would make sense financially for the Yankees to turn to Greene. He's still on his rookie contract, so the organization obviously won't be on the hook for much.

His presence in the rotation might come down to how active the Bombers are on the free-agent market. Jon Lester, Max Scherzer and James Shields are the big-name pitchers on the market, while the likes of Jason Hammel, Justin Masterson and Chris Young represent the top names in the middle group of free agents.

Of course, Brandon McCarthy could also be re-signed to fill the No. 5 role.

Greene will pitch for the Yankees next season. It will likely be primarily out of the bullpen, but he'll be in line for spot starts as the season progresses.

2. David Phelps

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

David Phelps has spent time on the disabled list this season, but the results haven't been bad when healthy. In fact, he is third on the team with 17 games started.

At 5-5 with a 4.24 ERA (4.34 FIP) and 1.394 WHIP, Phelps has pretty much pitched to expectations. Many thought of him as the No. 5 starter in the past, but injuries have forced him into a bit more of an important role.

Phelps has floated around the team's pitching staff over the past few seasons, making spot starts on occasion and pitching out of the bullpen for stretches of the season. Expect more of the same next year.

The 27-year-old righty is a quality guy to have on the roster. He can give you six decent innings as a starter, but he can also pitch multiple innings in relief. If Joe Girardi only needs one inning from him, he can dial it up a bit and get strikeouts in tough spots.

Phelps certainly has a future as a starting pitcher, but he might not see a full-time spot in the rotation for a few years. For now, he'll float between the two units.

3. Chase Whitley

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

With 12 starts, Chase Whitley has taken the bump (as the starter) the fifth-most times on the Yankees this year. Isn't that telling of how this season has gone?

Whitley was quite good through his first few starts. Things then went downhill, and he has scuffled since. He owns a 5.13 ERA (4.07 FIP), 1.444 WHIP and a 4-3 record. He has struck out 56 over 72 innings.

The 25-year-old is a good arm to have in the organization. While he doesn't have much upside, what you see is what you get with the righty. He throws strikes, lets hitters put the ball in play and gives the Yankees around five innings every time out.

The fact that he is so hittable hurts his case for a big spot in the rotation next season, though he'll be one of the first guys called when a spot start is needed.

That said, Whitley doesn't have the stuff for the bullpen. He needs to stay in Triple-A and work on fine-tuning his repertoire in order to be ready when the Yankees call for him. Don't expect to see him on the 25-man roster after next year's spring training.

4. Chris Capuano

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Chris Capuano started the year with the Boston Red Sox before being shipped off to the Colorado Rockies and subsequently being dealt to the Bombers. He's had the most success in New York.

The 36-year-old southpaw owns a 5.13 ERA (4.07 FIP), 1.415 WHIP and a record of 1-2 over 47.1 innings. Capuano has been far from great, but he has been mostly passable when on the mound. Given how few options there were for the Yankees, Capuano wasn't a bad option.

This will more than likely be Capuano's last few weeks as a Yankee, however. He simply isn't worth a big league contract at this point in his career. He is very hittable and doesn't possess the stuff necessary to get strikeouts in key situations.

He really wouldn't even be useful as a lefty specialist out of the bullpen. Lefties hit .256 against him compared to .340 for righties. That's a big difference, but .256 isn't a good enough mark for a specialist.

Capuano will likely be left for the scrap heap next season. Don't expect the Yankees to re-sign him.

5. Brandon McCarthy

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Brandon McCarthy has been an absolute revelation.

The 31-year-old was thought to be washed up after starting the season 3-10 with an ERA north of 5.00 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Yankees swapped Vidal Nuno for his services prior to the trade deadline, and the Yanks have been the clear winners thus far.

McCarthy has been stellar. He owns a 2.79 ERA (2.97 FIP), 1.183 WHIP and a record of 6-4. With 64 strikeouts in 71 innings, McCarthy has upped the strikeouts without losing his ability to go pretty deep into games.

This strong showing has not only helped keep the Yankees in the playoff race, but also has served as a quality audition for next year's team. A free agent following the conclusion of 2014, McCarthy should now have a few suitors given his performance.

The Yankees better not let him walk.

McCarthy is exactly what this team needs. He's a workhorse who stays healthy, throws strikes and isn't afraid to pitch under the big lights. Plus, he's hysterical (check his Twitter account).

He better be one of the first players Brian Cashman calls in December. He's well worth a two-year deal in the $20 million range.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @KennyDeJohn_BR