Aceves Forcing His Way Into ‘09 Rotation

A big reason for the downfall of the Yankees this season has been their shaky rotation. They counted on rookies who failed early on and lost starters to injuries which kept them from mounting a late season come back.

In order to compete next season they are either going to need to make some changes. Yes those rookies may eventually come around, but now the Yankees know they cannot count on them. One surprise rookie which may be part of the changes next year is Alfredo Aceves.

Aceves came out of nowhere, Mexico actually, and has been a very pleasant surprise for the Bombers. So far in 26 innings he has allowed just four run, good enough for a 1.38 ERA. While a number that low isn’t likely to last he has turned himself into a viable option next season because he has helped to steady the Yankees rotation late in the season.

Today’s performance of six innings, five hits, no runs, three walks, and three strike outs has been just another positive sign from the 25-year-old former Mexican Leaguer.

As the rotation stands right now the only lock really is Chien-Ming Wang. After that the Yankees have a lot of decisions to make, but Joba Chamberlain will likely be a part of the rotation eventually and one or both Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina are likely to return. They could also take a dip in the free agent pool, but throughout that entire process don’t expect Aceves’ name to go away.

He’ll likely start next spring training out of the rotation and as of now you have to figure it’s his job to loose. Why not? After all he did all Yankee fans a favor by kicking Darrell Rasner out of the rotation and he’s likely the reason the Yankees will be forced deal the inconsistent young starter.

If he is not part of the rotation next year that could be a good sign. The reason it’s good is because for that to happen he would have to be pushed out of the rotation by five other starters having great springs. Even if that were to happen though Aceves would likely only spend a limited amount of time in the minors as he would likely be called up at the first sign of trouble.

Signed this past off-season the Yankees didn’t know what they were getting. Or it was great scouting by the Yankees and a smart decision by Brian Cashman. Either way the success he’s showed is a great sign for 2009.