Yankee fans may be looking at Spring Training feeling a little down. Andy Pettitte retired and now only three pitchers are set in stone for the Yankees.
CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Phil Hughes are all a given. Even with that, AJ Burnett is not consistent, and we do not really know exactly who Phil Hughes is yet.
On top of that, the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation are unknown. It could be Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, Sergio Mitre or Bartolo Colon.
But one of the biggest problems fans complain about in sports is incentive. Players go out there knowing that regardless of how well they do, they will still be sent back out, and their paycheck will remain the same.
However with Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia, Sergio Mitre and Bartolo Colon, the salaries are not there and the guarantee to start is certainly not there. We have seen the Yankees switch people in and out of the rotation a lot (both with Hughes and Chamberlain) and regardless of who wins the starting jobs out of Spring Training, it is likely that nothing is guaranteed for the rest of the season.
Although this is not something to be thrilled about, there is a bright side. Competing not only for a starting job but competing to keep the starting job could potentially bring out the best in these pitchers and whoever wins the starting jobs could end up being a pleasant surprise.
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