Joba Chamberlain

2013

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2012

Chamberlain will miss at least half of 2012 as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. Given the emergence of David Robertson, it's unlikely at this point that Chamberlain would regain his position as the heir apparent to Mariano Rivera, but he's shown much better control as a reliever than as a starter, averaging 7.5 K/9IP and 2.2 BB/9IP as a full-time bullpen arm before succumbing to the elbow injury. The Yankees could potentially deal Chamberlain to a team that sees him as a closer option, or they could pair him with Rivera, Robertson, and Rafael Soriano to create a devastating late-inning bullpen combination once he returns to health.

2011

Chamberlain's role with the Yankees was one of the most hotly debated issues in spring training last year, but don't expect that to be the case in 2011. New York doesn't seem to be giving any serious thought to giving him another chance in the starting rotation, and he seems destined to spend another year in a seventh- or eighth-inning role. Chamberlain is probably better suited to the bullpen anyway, showing significant improvement in both K/9IP (9.7) and BB/9IP (2.8) when used as a full-time reliever last year.

2010

Chamberlain began the 2009 season as a starter for the first time in his career. Hamstrung by the increasingly secretive and ever-evolving Joba Rules, he was often yanked after just three or four innings, especially later in the season. Whether those restrictions had a negative effect on his performance remains up for debate, but the end result was a highly inconsistent campaign that saw Chamberlain negate his strong strikeout numbers (133 in 157.1 innings) with a lack of command (76 walks). His 2010 role hasn’t been permanently decided, but we expect to see him back in the rotation, likely working with a less restrictive innings count.

2009

The Yankees' front office is planning to keep Chamberlain in the rotation for 2009, but considering that he only tossed 100.1 innings in his first full major league season, there could be some workload restrictions in play. The price tag on draft day will be high regardless of his role, but given Mariano Rivera's death grip on the save opportunities as the team's closer, fantasy owners will undoubtedly prefer that the Yankees stay the course and keep him as a starter. In 42 appearances -- including 12 starts -- Chamberlain posted a 118:39 K:BB ratio and held opponents to a .233 BAA in 2008, but beware of the potential for another year of Joba Rules protecting his arm.

2008

Chamberlain was untouchable at all four levels he pitched at in 2007, delivering a combined 169:33 K:BB ratio in 112.1 innings as a starter and reliever. The Yankees opted to call him up when their set-up options faltered, and he was quickly deployed as the eighth-inning stopper in front of closer Mariano Rivera. Chamberlain's fastball touches 99 mph, while his curveball is also a plus-pitch that helps him dominate hitters. As of press time, the Yankees were leaning towards moving him back into the rotation, while new manager Joe Girardi hinted that there would be a strict watch over his workload, as well as that of young hurlers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Chamberlain's stuff is simply electric, so expect plenty of strikeouts regardless of his eventual role.