The No. 5 spot: A never ending problem
As it stands right now, the Yankees will go into opening day with the following rotation: CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez. Not bad for the first four. But the number five spot remains open.
The Yankees have choices. They can go with Joba, they can go with Hughes, or they could slip in Serigo Mitre, who just yesterday signed a one-year $850,000 deal, according to the Associated Press.
If you have read anything I have written, you will notice a hatred of mine for the idea of putting Joba in the rotation. Hughes is a better starter and Joba is a far better reliever. So it seems pretty simple doesn’t it? Just put Hughes in the rotation and Joba in the bullpen. It would work as both a long term and shor term solution. But, the ridiculous Yankee coaching staff philosophy has me backed in a corner.
First off, let’s just remove Mitre, who most certainly does not deserve a spot over Hughes or Joba.
Who should be the fifth starter for the Yankees?(polling)
But back to the issue. Just as the Yankees had a “Joba Rule” thing in effect, you can bet your dollar they would have some “Hughes Rules” as well. Which makes me very skeptical. There is no doubt that you can attribute Chamberlains atrocious starting pitching to the fact that he was constantly on a pitch count. It made him always think about the pitch count, which took his focus away from being aggressive.
In 2010, the wheels would be off for Joba, so maybe he would be a better starter. I’m afraid that the same thing that happened to Joba will happen to Hughes, should they put him in the rotation.
But either way, you go with the better option. Like I said, Hughes is a better starter, and Chamberlain is a better reliever. Long term, Hughes can be the next Pettitte, and Chamberlain can be the next Rivera (maybe a bit worse.) You might as well set up for that now, rather than screwing stuff up. ⧫
A Bite Off The Big Apple 
Hughes has been the better reliever up to this point and
Joba has been a better starter i dont know what #s you are looking at or what game , all i seen from Joba last yr was a very good young starter who needs time to be great , his era was well under 4 until they put him on a inning and pitch restriction . Hughes #s are a setup guy were better then anything joba has ever put up , but to put joba in the pen makes no sense because unlike hughes he has no restriction this yr , if you think Joba should be in the pen the so shouldnt Santana because Joba #s as a starter in his first full season were better then Johan’s , Hughes should be in the pen(but the only reason he should be is because the inning restriction he will have ) for now until next yr when we sign from the group of Lee , Webb , or Becket , then are rotation will be
CC
AJ
whom ever we sign from that group (hopfully Lee)
Chamberlain
Hughes
you dont waste a player will the abilty of Joba as a relief pitcher its a waste of talent , Joba can and i do believe will be a very good pitcher at least a 2 or 3 starter , but i also think Hughes can do the same , Hughes to the pen for 1 more yr and thats it get Hughes innings up any way you can because we are wasting these kids abiltys by leaving them in the pen .
They are both starter until wither proves they are not a good 1 and neither has shown that