The only position the New York Yankees actually have some depth in is their bullpen. But with bullpen depth, comes interest from other teams. The Yankees have had a rollercoaster relationship with reliever Joba Chamberlain, but that is not stopping other teams to cnosider taking him. A scout for the Texas Rangers stopped by the Yankees spring training game Monday to watch Chamberlain pitch and could work out a deal for him with the Yankees.
Chamberlain has had an inconsistent six years in the major leagues. He has been both a starting pitcher and come out of the bullpen. He has yet to really find his path with the Yankees. He has also faced several injuries. He had Tommy John surgery in 2011 which sidelined him for a year. He then severely broke his right leg while bouncing on a trampoline last March. With all that aside, the Rangers still believe Chamberlain can be a quality pitcher.
Chamberlain was a highly touted pitching prospect coming up in the Yankees organization. He was originally pegged as being the next best starting pitcher in baseball. However, he has yet to fulfill those lofty expectations. He shows flashes of talent, but cannot find consistent success.
According to ESPN New York, the Rangers have mild interest in Chamberlain. In the pitchers outing on Monday he threw one inning. He gave up one hit, but did not allow a run or walk. His fastball was clocked at 92-95 mph. In five spring outings, Chamberlain has thrown five innings, given up four hits and walked two batters. At 27, Chamberlain has a 12-7 record as a starter, with a 4.18 ERA. He has recorded 206 strike outs and 101 walks. As a relief pitcher, he has made 172 appearances with a 3.18 ERA.
The Yankees have depth to replace Chamberlain if the Rangers want to work out a trade. David Aardsma and Shawn Kelley would fill the void of Chamberlain easily. The Yankees have already lost multiple players to injury and could use depth at other positions. With tension in the relationship between the team and the pitcher, if the Rangers make a pull at Chamberlain, the Yankees would likely sacrifice him for someone else.
