The fact that Joba Chamberlain will most likely make his major-league debut, while exciting, wasn't much of a surprise. This move has been in the works for a while. What is shocking, however, is the other roster moves the Yanks made today.
Jason Giambi came off the DL, Miguel Cairo was DFA'd and Brian Bruney was sent down to AAA. There had been plenty of talk about Cairo being the odd man out when Giambi came back, but I never thought Joe would do it. Bruney being sent to Scranton was a complete shock to me.
I'm not big on conspiracy theories, but the moves the Yankees have made over the past 10 days have me thinking that Joe's voice doesn't carry as much weight as it used to. Scott Proctor was his go-to guy. Some thought trading him was the front office's way of saying, "Joba is coming, and you're going to have to use him." Bruney was another stalwart for Joe this year, now he's gone.
Proctor was burned out a couple of times this year, so you can see the logic behind the move. Bruney has had zero control, so again, you can see why the move was made from a baseball perspective. The last move is the one that really shocked me. Cairo is one of Joe's guys. I think if he had his druthers, Cairo would still be on the 25-man roster and Shelley Duncan would be sent back to the minors.
Whether Joe had a say in these moves or not, I think they were the right moves to make. Cairo is superfluous with Betemit there, and sending Bruney down could light a fire under him. Maybe he'll start listening to the advice he's being given and throw some strikes. If he can regain a sense of the strike zone, he can really help this team down the stretch.
Shelley Duncan is in the lineup tonight, against a righty, so that's a completely unexpected turn of events. Maybe Joe has gotten the message. Maybe Joe is the one sending the message. Either way, I love the direction this team is headed. The compulsory rebuilding process is happening right in front of our eyes, and I know I can't wait to see how the season ends.
Sad to see the best tat on the Yanks hit the road, here's one last shot of it. The Iron Cross:
What did Joe do with the young guy who looks like Urkel? If he's still up, it supports your theory that Joe doesn't carry as much weight as he used to with Bruney moving down in his stead.
Brian, time for you to spring into action and save Joe from himself! Send him some of your notebook graphics about platooning Giambi. Looks like the front office wants to see young blood in the lineup, but given Joe's loyalty to his veterans, he might need a few extra reminders.
Edwar is still in AAA, and still dominating down there. I'm praying every night that Farnsworth gets DFA'd and Edwar comes up.
A letter to the skipper has been posted.