Bombers Banter: Are the New York Yankees Still in the Playoff Hunt?

Question: Should Brian Cashman have tried to claim former Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Paul Byrd off waivers?

Matthew Goodman: Cashman did the right thing. While Byrd has been on a hot streak recently, he's a finesse pitcher whose ERA was above 5.00 about a month ago. He's moving to a hitters' park, where he'll probably get beaten up a bit.

I doubt he would have been better than Rasner or Ponson, whom he would have been replacing had the Yankees claimed him. The short porch at Yankee Stadium greatly decreases his value since he's a right-handed flyball pitcher.

Colin Linneweber: It couldn't have hurt. Cashman has done a nice job this season. Unfortunately, injuries have ravaged the season. Cashman and his flunkies believe that Hughes, Kennedy, and Pavano are options as good as Byrd, and they will all return in a short amount of time.

Jersey: Absolutely. Byrd has been very good since getting advice from Bert Blyleven on a mechanical issue. With the rotation as unreliable as it is, a veteran starter can't hurt. Perhaps there is still another pitcher soon to be made available, but with Jarrod Washburn off the table as well, the options are wearing thin.

Jordan Schwartz: Definitely. Despite the injuries to Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain, the rotation actually remains the team's strength, which doesn't say a whole lot about the offense.

That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. Darrell Rasner is 2-6 with a 7.04 ERA since June 11. You're telling me the Yankees wouldn't be better off with Paul Byrd, who's 4-1 with a 1.98 ERA since July 21?

Question: How do you feel about Joe Girardi's strategy of constantly shuffling the lineup in order to give guys days off?

Matthew Goodman: The strategy is fine, since the Yankees have an older lineup that requires micromanagement to keep guys fresh. It is a testament to Girardi that the Yankees have done as well as they have, given the injuries they have suffered.

Losing Matsui and Posada hurt them greatly and forced Girardi to turn to an admittedly thin bench to generate production. The struggles that Jeter and Cano have endured were completely unexpected and Girardi bears no blame for them.

Colin Linneweber: I like consistency. A lack of consistency breeds chaos, and chaos is never good for a squad. Set roles are the way to go.

Jersey: I don't mind shuffling the outfield so much because Melky Cabrera wasn't hitting enough to earn consistent playing time before being sent to the minors. Giving some players half-days off by DH'ing them is not a bad idea, even if it means sticking a Wilson Betemit or Justin Christain in the lineup.

However, the recent benching of Johnny Damon was utterly bizarre. Shuffling is not the worst idea in the world, but Girardi needs to be wary of over managing.

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