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Will Chris Capuano find himself in pinstripes again?
2014 Statistics: (NYY) 65.2 IP, 4.25 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 7.5K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 0.2 WAR
Age: 36
Position: Left-handed starter/reliever
The
Yankees' starting rotation was hit with so many injuries in 2014 that the one, the only,
Chris Capuano somehow found his way onto the team, and he actually made 12 solid starts. It is still true that you can never have enough pitching, and the Yankees wanted to make sure they had some pitching, so right around the All-Star break the Yankees purchased Capuano's contract from the
Colorado Rockies.
Capuano rewarded the Yankees with a very solid stint, posting a 4.25 ERA, and for the most part, keeping his team in every game (aside from one). Yes, Capuano is a 36-year-old pitcher on a team that might be looking to get younger, but he is a pitcher, and he is a lefty, so he does have value. With all the uncertainties in the rotation going into 2015, the Yankees would be smart to stack up as many pitching arms as they are able to get, and Capuano would be a cheap arm to retain.
Of course the majority of people probably do not want to see Capuano start again, but it wouldn't kill this team to have an available arm if, and I truly hope not, a barrage of injuries hit the rotation again. Capuano would even make a decent lefty to bring out of the pen and get some outs. Bringing back Capuano would simply be a move of the Yankees preparing themselves for the worst, and if the worst does not occur, all parties can easily move on.
The Yankees will hopefully look to some of their younger arms like Bryan Mitchell and Manny Banuelos for pitching depth, but keeping Capuano isn't the worst move in the world. Capuano has pitched extremely well in the Japan All-Star Series, so that alone may encourage him to try and land a few more extra dollars on is next deal.
