During one of his pre-game press conferences the other day, Joe Girardi was asked if Luis Severino would only be called up as a starter this season. His answer surprised me, and in my opinion, it hasn’t gotten a whole lot of attention.
“Not necessarily,” said Girardi.
What? You mean the Yankees would actually consider putting Severino in the bullpen? Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re having flashbacks of Joba Chamberlain and the Joba Rules – the flip-flop of his role that probably ultimately lead to his demise and departure from the Bronx. You’re thinking the Yankees will only ruin Severino if they move him to the bullpen, crushing any hopes that he’ll become a frontline starter like so many believe he can be.
I happen to think Sevvy would thrive in a bullpen role. I know this is not a popular name, but let me throw this one out there: Phil Hughes.
Remember when Hughes shifted to the pen in 2009? He provided a huge lift to the team and was really an unsung hero in that championship season. Hughes threw to a 1.40 ERA over 51.1 innings in relief (44 games) while allowing 31 hits and striking out 65. He gave up just TWO home runs. The reason for his success was that he could empty the tank for one inning. Hughes didn’t have to work through a lineup once, twice, three times while trying not to fall into a pattern. He could come out and throw all of his pitches at max effort.
I think Severino would benefit tremendously from coming in for one inning and letting it fly. He could provide stability to the middle relief department which has been lacking from this Yankees team. He would also add to the big three of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. The Yankees could potentially shorten their games to five innings. Pretty scary.
There’s no guarantee this will even happen, but Girardi left the option open if the Yankees want to go that route. There’s also no guarantee that Severino will be successful in a relief role. Ivan Nova tried it out this season and didn’t do too well; some guys thrive and others just aren’t as comfortable.
Luis Severino is currently 3-0 with a 3.19 ERA over 31 innings with the Railriders since being sent down. On the other hand, Ivan Nova has now allowed a home run in every start this season. If Nova continues to struggle, we might just see Severino get a second go-around in the rotation. Or, we could see him next to Betances, Miller and Chapman out in the bullpen.
