"I had confidence in A.J. Burnett all along..." No, you didn't. I sure didn't. Nobody did. A.J. Burnett didn't have confidence in A.J. Burnett. And if Curtis Granderson didn't make a really quick course correction, today you'd have no confidence in A.J. Burnett. But he did, and the Yankees won, and that's what matters. Today.
Hopefully, Thursday night Ivan Nova pitches the way he's capable of pitching on regular rest, and the Texas Rangers, no slouches they, will be in Yankee Stadium trying for a repeat of last year's ALCS. But that's for another day.
The real question is: What about 2012 (and I don't mean the election, although I'll give you my prediction if you ask)? Assuming the Yankees and CC make a deal after he opts out--and he will-- we'll have Sabathia, Nova, Phil Hughes (and everybody hold your breath that he can come back), and then... who? It's unrealistic to expect Bartolo Colon to have even a first half like he had this year again, and Freddy Garcia was serviceable, but not really impressive. We got by on luck and surprises this year, and to expect that again would be considerably more optimistic than I can muster.
Dellin Betances? Manny Banuelos? Best guess is they're another year away yet, but you never know. Who's on the free agent market? Nobody who's going to knock your socks off, starting-pitching-wise. Mark Buerhle? Rich Harden? Edwin Jackson? Not really inspiring, and unlikely.
That leaves us with A.J. Burnett and his $13-billion contract for another two years. So somebody has to figure that guy out. And that's something we said last winter, and the winter before that.
Larry Rothschild has tried. Maybe he can help again, given the time. Maybe a sport psychologist can be enlisted, if one hasn't already been consulted. Because the problem is between Burnett's ears, and not in his incredibly tattooed arm.
Maybe not the right day for this argument, but the question is coming, and it's coming soon. Stay tuned.
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