Yankees manager Aaron Boone still 'not committing' to an everyday closer
Clay Holmes of the New York Yankees reacts after surrendering a ninth inning home run against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in July. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Closer-by-committee is never ideal, regardless of the positive spin many big-league managers publicly espouse when forced to implement it.
Ideally, late-inning bullpen roles are defined – especially at closer – early in the season and it continues throughout the 162-game season and, for those teams that qualify, into the postseason.
Naturally, that isn’t always realistic, and that’s the situation the Yankees find themselves in as the regular season hits the stretch run.
Currently, the Yankees have uncertainty at closer – where Clay Holmes, who leads the majors with 11 blown saves, last week lost his hold on the job – with Luke Weaver getting the first crack at the role (and succeeding) Friday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Weaver was warming in the ninth inning Saturday, but Nestor Cortes pitched a flawless 4 1/3 innings in relief of Clarke Schmidt so Aaron Boone never felt the need to dip into the bullpen. And then Weaver pitched the eighth inning in Monday night’s 10-4 victory over the Royals, an indication the organization is open to multiple options when it comes to closing out games, a group that includes, Jake Cousins, Tommy Kahnle, Weaver, of course, and Holmes as well (the just-returned-from-the-injured-list Ian Hamilton potentially could pitch his way into consideration).
“I’m comfortable with that,” Boone predictably said Tuesday of going with the closer-by-committee approach. “If we end up settling on a guy that ends up closing out games all the time to most of the time, that’s fine, too. I’m going to let that evolve. The reality is, I have a lot of confidence in a lot of guys down there right now. My biggest focus right now is trying to get those guys in positions to where they can be most successful and most impactful. So not really committing to anything right now.”
The end for DJ?
DJ LeMahieu, placed on the IL Monday with a right hip impingement, which opened a roster spot for Jasson Dominguez, underwent an MRI Monday.
Boone said the results of that testing were “unclear” when it came to the possibility of LeMahieu playing again this season.
“I wouldn’t necessarily rule it out,” Boone said. “But I wouldn’t count on it either.”
LeMahieu, who has two years and $30 million left on his contract after this season, started the year on the IL with non-displaced fracture of his right foot. The 36-year-old, whom the club may well choose to part ways with over the winter, never got things going, hitting .204 with two homers and a .528 OPS in 67 games.
