'B' Is for Banuelos: Is Manny Banuelos the Yankees Plan for Making the Playoffs?

The pitching staff of the New York Yankees was not quite a question mark heading into the year.

And, even despite the loss of Phil Hughes, the Yankees pitching has been bolstered by the surprisingly strong early-season performances of Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon.  

But, Phil Hughes's "dead-arm" is still an unsettled issue, and reality demands one to think that Garcia and Colon, although serviceable, will not keep up their current level of pitching throughout 2011.

The next best option for the Yankees may be their heralded prospect, Manny Banuelos.  

Banuelos was impressive in Spring Training this year.  So far, he's been very good in Double A, although not completely dominant, at the young age of 21. He has a 2.25 ERA and 27/16 K/BB ratio in 32 innings.

But, more noticeable than the results that he is producing in Double A is how he is being handled by the Yankees.  

Banuelos pitched more than five innings in only one of his seven starts thus far; he has pitched five innings only once, and the rest of his starts have been less than five innings.  In seven starts, he has only pitched 32 innings.

This is highly suggestive that the Yankees may be grooming Banuelos for a call-up late this summer...and not just a September showcase, but something much more serious.  

The Yankees may be throwing their playoff hopes, and after that, their World Series hopes, in the hands of Banuelos.  

There is no other explanation as to why they would be saving Banuelos's arm.  He is only pitching four innings when he's dominant.  

Of course, he's only 21, and teams always try to minimize the arm use of young starters throughout their minor league development.  But, Banuelos is being handled with kid gloves even when accounting for that general rule.  

The truth is that he may be the only hope in the Bronx this year.  It is unlikely that the Yankees can trade for the kind of pitching they need at the trade deadline.  

The top free agent pitcher is Edwin Jackson. Do the Yankees want to overpay for him in trade? They will likely have to overpay for him in the off-season as well, if they plan on keeping him. 

The top pitchers that may be eligible for free agency in the near future were shipped away this summer (Garza, Marcum and Greinke).  

Right now, the Yankees are awaiting the final word on Hughes, but it's clear that they're getting Plan B ready: Banuelos.

He may be a necessary component to a Yankees postseason run, and even more so to a World Series run, even with a healthy Hughes.  

Banuelos is good, but is he so good that he can save the Yankees at 21? Maybe, without facing Triple A hitters?

No one knows, and there's only one way to find out: throw him in the fire.  It's a nuclear option, but an option nonetheless.  The clues point to the Yankees viewing it this way as well.