Starter won't necessarily go to pen
Joe Girardi said the odd man out in the rotation derby won’t necessarily end up as a reliever. “There’s no guarantee the sixth starter goes to the bullpen,” he said.
That was one reason he had D.J. Mitchell come out of the bullpen
Girardi has been impressed with Mitchell, Phelps and Adam Warren, assumed to be three-fifths of the Triple-A rotation, and said one of them could be the Yankees’ long man to start the season or a possibility for that role if attrition necessitates it at some point in the season.
“What’s impressed me most about all three of them is the difference in their spring training this year compared to last year,” Girardi said. “Last year at times, I thought they looked like they were a little overwhelmed or nervous to make a mistake or [saying] ‘I’m not so sure I should be here.’ I don’t question that now.”