The Poll: Trip Aces

The trio of young guns each have their own package of heightened expectations to cope with in 2008 and beyond. In an attempt to better understand the hopes of Yankees fans for each piece of generation trey, the poll asked which of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy would have the "best" season.

Not surprisingly, Ike received the least of the votes with only 16% of BL visitors believing the USC control artist would outdo Phil and Joba. This is to be expected, not to suggest Kennedy is an unworthy candidate, but because he does not have Chamberlain's blazing fastball or Hughes' pedigree. With that said, it would not be shocking if Kennedy - who is the most polished of the three - had the best year as a starter.

Though my vote goes to Hughes, who showed guile pitching in the second half without nearly his best stuff, a quarter of BL voters chose Chamberlain. Should Joba put forth a similar type of performance out of the bullpen this year as he did in 2007, his probable workload as a starter may be an afterthought.

That's a lot to ask of the youngster, but I still expect Chamberlain to fall somewhere between the very good setup man [Scot Shields] and his unhittable prowess last season. Whether he can be nearly as dominant in the starting role is the question for the ages. But it is one that must be answered before simply relegating him to the bullpen. [Remember, Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman and K-Rod all failed as starters before becoming lockdown closers]

The number one vote-getter was Hughes with nearly 60%. Hughes is somewhere between Ike and Joba in terms of "polish." He is also somewhere between the other two when comparing "stuff." Hughes is also a hybrid in terms of pitching IQ and experience, as the 21 year-old has been a more proven starter than Chamberlain but yet to eat as many innings as Kennedy.

Should the Hughes fastball return to previous levels - one that sits 92-95mph and touches 97 - to compliment his laser-like command, the Franchise is capable of having one hell of a year. The development of his changeup is another key as his curveball seems to be back at Hughesian levels. Forecasting a season in which Hughes wins 15 games with an ERA under 4.00 along with 145 strikeouts in 170 innings is fathomable.

The Poll: A Split Decision

After approximately 200 votes were cast, BL visitors created a split decision regarding how the Yankees should use Joba Chamberlain this season. Each choice had its own reasonable justification. Some believe Joba is the heir-apparent to Mariano Rivera and should serve as his setup man until succeeding him - much like Rivera's role when John Wetteland closed in 1996.

Some believe Joba has the ability to become an ace starting pitcher and effect games in the same fashion which Josh Beckett dominated last year. After seeing Chamberlain pitch in Trenton, and observe he could carry his velocity into the later innings - still hitting 97 mph in the sixth and seventh innings - this argument holds just as much credence in my mind.

The major concern for the Yankees is to keep his innings totals under control, something that will be done with greater ease than many may believe. Nardi Contreras has already worked out his plans for Chamberlain - as well as for Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy - and his recommendations will be explored by Brian Cashman and Joe Girardi. Expect to see Chamberlain pitch between 140-150 innings as has already been reported on numerous occasions.

Though the Yankees seem intent on starting the year with Chamberlain in the bullpen, there is a strong belief they will stretch him out after the all star break before joining the rotation down the home stretch. This was my choice, and received 21 percent of the vote. Receiving only 2 percent more votes was the desire to keep Chamberlain in the bullpen all season.

The most popular decision - and by far the most reckless for health reasons - had BL voters hoping Chamberlain would start and end the 2008 season in the rotation. Considering the "plus 30 rule" for starting pitchers, Joba should not throw more than 150 innings next season, and using him all season as a starter could pile up 180-200 innings. This could bring about serious arm issues by the summer and even more likely cause injury at some point during the 2009 season.

All things considered, the poll results in a true split decision. Of the first four choices, two place more value on Joba in the bullpen and two more so in the rotation. If you add up the total votes for each facet, 44 percent believe Chamberlain better serves the Yankees as a reliever and 44 percent believe he is more valuable as a starting pitcher.

Conclusion? There is none, other than this is a very separative issue amongst Yankee fans, media members and [probably] organization officials.

Polls Closed: Much Ado About Johan

A recent poll asked BL visitors to put their GM caps on and decide how they'd approach the Johan Santana situation had Boston never gotten involved. The votes are in and the results are overwhelmingly supportive of the Yankees young arms - specifically Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes.

With 77% of voters choosing to a) pursue Santana as a free agent or b) keep Hughes/Chamberlain at all costs, the consensus is clear. Yankees fans want to improve their team, but refuse to surrender their top two pitching prospects in the process.

Obviously, Chamberlain had been deemed "untouchable" early on in the Santana sweepstakes. However, the unexpected inclusion of Hughes brought the Yankees universe to an abrupt halt, spurring a fanbase obsessed with winning to quickly voice their desire to protect the future as opposed to the recent strategy of selling it.

Even Hank Steinbrenner recognized the fanbase's stubbornness when it came to including Hughes in a trade, regardless of what megastar came in return.

At 11%, the third most popular choice amongst voters asked the Yankees to "let an NL team get [Santana]." This segment of voters represents another change of pace as Yankee fans are willing to let their crosstown rivals reap the rewards of a Santana swap as long as it means Hughes is safe and Johan is far from Beantown.

The least popular response from voters - at a mere 10% - represents the small population of Yankees fans who are willing to trade 21 year-old Hughes for the Minnesota ace. By no means do I fault this segment of Yankee fans for wanting to acquire arguably the best pitcher in baseball.

However, the voters on this site, and on countless other polls around the internet, speaks to the overwhelming majority of bombers fans who believe Boston's involvement is transparent; and that the best strategy calls for Brian Cashman to pursue Santana if he becomes a free agent next offseason.

Considering the three most popular responses urge the Yankees front office to either let the Mets get Santana, sign him in the offseason and refuse to give up Hughes or Chamberlain, that means 88% of BL visitors are against pursuing a trade for Johan Santana. If you've spent one day in New York City, that's about as much agreement as you'll find in the big apple.

* Please take part in the new poll and let me know how you would use Joba Chamberlain in 2008.