Yankees Spinning the Roulette Wheel on Starting Pitchers

C.C. Sabathia or Carl Pavano?

Yankee fans must be wondering whether Michael Pineda, the young hard-throwing pitcher acquired from Seattle for top hitting prospect Jesus Montero, is going to deliver as Sabathia has or turn into another Bronx Bust on the mound.

The Yankees may have all the money in the world but that doesn't mean they always spend it wisely. For every successful starting pitcher they have acquired via free agency or in a trade, they have also made some decisions that seemed destined to fail. And overpaid for those pitchers as well.

Roger Clemens was 77-36 in his first five years with the Yankees—whether or not he was juicing. Randy Johnson did not endear himself to New Yorkers, but he was 34-19 in two years in the Bronx (2005-06).

But the path from the dugout to the mound is also lined with magnificent flops. And don't let the won-lost records fool you. It's hard not to have a winning record when you are wearing Yankee pinstripes, although A.J. Burnett will take what remains of his talent to Pittsburgh with a 34-35 record in three seasons in New York.

Perhaps the most maligned acquisition was Eddie Lee Whitson, who parlayed a 14-8 record with the Padres in 1984 into a starting gig with the Yankees. He was 15-10 with a 5.38 ERA in one-plus seasons and could not perform in the New York spotlight. He also had a fistfight with manager Billy Martin, which may have been his biggest contribution.

The amazing part is that Whitson has a career losing record even after his '84 breakout season when the Padres went to the World Series. He then cashed in on his free agent status.

Let's take a look at some of the other Yankee starting pitchers who failed to live up to expectations. We won't try to name them all but just give you a sample of how money can't always buy success 

The Hurt Locker

Carl Pavano didn't spend enough time on the mound to even be booed by Yankee fans. In three seasons, he made just 26 starts and had a 9-8 record. Pavano was injured early and often, from shoulder problems to elbow pain, a sore butt and broken ribs suffered in an auto accident.

It's a wonder he didn't hurt himself posing for the team photo.

Pavano may represent the Yankees' worst free agent signing because they gave him almost $40 million over four years. He is another example of a pitcher cashing in after having breakout year. In 2004, Pavano was 18-8 with Marlins. He was 12-13 the previous year when the Marlins beat the Yankees in six games to win the World Series.

The Second Time Around

It's one thing for the Yankees to try and squeeze an encore performance from Roger Clemens as they did in 2010 when he was 6-6, but Javier Vazquez? Why did the Yankees think he would be better the second time around?

What's worse, they traded for him twice, giving Nick Johnson and Juan Rivera to the Expos in December of 2003, then sending Melky Cabrera to the Braves in the 2009 offseason after Vazquez had posted three losing seasons in the five since departing the Yankees the first time.

In 2004, he was 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA and finished 10-10 with a 5.32 ERA in 2010. We can understand the first trade; at 27, Vazquez was entering his prime and still had a big upside. But the Yankees should have passed on trading for him the second time. By then, Vazquez had shown he was a better pitcher in the National League. 

The Japanese Import

No matter how much Yankee fans were disappointed that Hideki Irabu failed to live up to the hype when he came to New York from Japan in 1997, the real tragedy occurred in July of 2010 at his home in Los Angeles when the big bear of a pitcher (6'4", 240 pounds) took his own life at the age of 42.

He was a troubled man after retiring from baseball, getting into altercations and being arrested for driving under the influence.

It's only conjecture to guess how much of his personal downfall could be blamed on his failure to become the ace of the Yankees staff. Instead, owner George Steinbrenner called Irabu a "fat, #*%#* toad."

Irabu spent nine seasons in his native Japan before signing a four-year, $12 million deal with the Yankees. In three seasons, he was 29-20 with a 4.80 ERA. He wasn't terrible, but Yankee fans were led to believe they were getting a Japanese version of Nolan Ryan.

It's hard to fathom given that Irabu was only 57-57 during his career in Japan.

Yankees Can't Get It Wright

All it takes is one good year apparently and the Yankees will pull up to your door with a truck load of cash. Jaret Wright, whose career started so promisingly with the Cleveland Indians in 1997, was 29 years old and had a history of arm and shoulder injuries, including Tommy John surgery, when the Yankees signed him after the 2004 season.

What swayed them? Wright had a comeback year with the Braves in '04, going 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA. That persuaded the Yankees to lavish him with a three-year contract worth $21 million. He never made it to the third season in New York. He was 16-12 with a 4.99 ERA for the Yankees, who then shuffled him off to Baltimore after the 2006 season. 

Where Old Pitchers Go to Retire

Kevin Brown had a long and mostly distinguished career, mostly with the Rangers and Dodgers, before signing with the Yankees in 2004. And that was the problem. He was 39 years old and reaching the end of the line. That didn't deter the Yankees from acquiring Brown from the Dodgers, sending Jeff Weaver, among others, to Los Angeles.

Brown not only rivaled Randy Johnson for surliness, but he suddenly looked his age in New York. He seemingly had more visits to the mound by the Yankee trainers than manager. Brown won 211 games in his career but was only 14-13 in two seasons with the Yankees.

It was the last stop for Brown, who retired after the 2005 season.

There are other pitchers who flopped in pinstripes. Who is your favorite?

But let's face it; the Yankees have the financial resources to buy their way out of mistakes. It's a luxury most teams can't afford. The word is young Mr. Pineda is a little overweight as spring training is about to begin. Cross your fingers Yankee fans.