Yanks need Sabathia to turn it around soon
CINCINNATI — The Yankees need more from CC Sabathia than they’re getting. Sabathia’s spot in the rotation may be safe for now. After all, he’s making $25 million, he pitched well last season and he deserves a little more time to figure this thing out. But it won’t be if his struggles continue.
The 36-year-old lefty had his fourth consecutive lousy performance on Tuesday night, giving up five earned runs on seven hits in six innings in the Yankees’ 5-3 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Over that span, he’s pitched to a 9.58 ERA (20.2 IP, 30 H, 22 ER).
Asked about what’s been happening during the downswing after his team’s sixgame winning streak came to an end, Sabathia replied: “Not being able to throw my cutter inside to righties.”
Joe Girardi agreed. “His cutter hasn’t been as sharp, and that’s a big pitch for him,” Girardi said. “Getting it inside to right-handers, speeding them up and setting up his backdoor breaking ball and his changeup, it just hasn’t been effective.”
However, the manager said he has “plenty” of patience when it comes to Sabathia.
“I’ve seen what he’s done. I saw what he did last year and his first three starts this year (1.47 ERA). He’ll find it,” Girardi said.
It’s gotten to the point where the Yankees just hope hard-hit balls Sabathia surrenders find gloves instead of holes, and he can keep them in games long enough for their dynamic offense to bail him out. And they’re winning a lot right now, which helps.
But this is why, when you asked some scouts who they were most concerned with on the Yankees heading into the 2017 campaign, they answered with Carsten Charles Sabathia. He’s basically a No.5 starter now, prone to having one bad inning. On Tuesday night, it was the second, when he allowed five runs on six hits.
Brian Cashman has said that if the Yankees show themselves worthy of postseason contention, he’d be willing to recommend potential upgrades via trade to ownership. Adding an impact starter would seem to be at the top of that list, depending on what type of prospects they’d have to surrender to acquire one.
Until then, the Yankees just have to hope Sabathia — who had surgery on his right knee during the offseason — can revert to who he was in 2016, the veteran southpaw who finally figured out how to reinvent himself with lesser velocity and bite to his pitches.
“He competes as well as anyone I’ve ever been around. He’s got a big heart,” Girardi said of Sabathia, who put up zeroes in his final four innings, getting his cutter back along the way. Both of them hope this is the start of a turnaround.
“I felt good throwing it later in the game and my changeup kept me in it, so that was encouraging,” Sabathia said.
Sabathia has done a lot for the Yankees. He’s overcome a lot, too. But he needs to pick it up. Because if he doesn’t, the next step might be making him a $25 million lefty specialist out of the bullpen.