The Yankees have done a great job developing relievers over the last five years. Two key cogs of this year’s bullpen- Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson- are homegrown. Phil Hughes is now a starter, but his contributions out of the pen in 2009 were critical to that championship team. Turn back the clock to 2007 and those three individuals played at various levels of the organization. Chamberlain and Hughes made it to the big leagues, and were joined by Robertson a year later. Could it be the best reliever of the bunch was the one they let get away?

Over a week ago the NY Times did a profile on Milwaukee Brewers closer John Axford. This is your typical feel good baseball story about an amateur free agent that gets overlooked, has to work a minimum wage job to survive, and finally gets the break he needs. Last season future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman imploded as the Milwaukee closer. John Axford stepped in and saved 24 of 27 games with a little help from former pitching coach Rick Peterson. Going into 2011 he could be the key to the Brewers playoff hopes.

In 2007 experts talked about Jeff Marquez, Humberto Sanchez, and J. Brent Cox as some of the top bullpen prospects in the organization. Chamberlain was thrust into that role later that year when Brian Cashman lost Eric Gagne to the Red Sox.

With all the resources available today it still comes down to opportunity and what player steps up to make the most of it. While Chamberlain was throwing three inning starts, Axford was trying to survive selling cell phones. Perhaps you can’t blame the Yankees for releasing him after the 2007 season. Yankees VP Mark Newman told Tyler Kepner he remembers Axford “having a good arm and being wild.” With the depth of arms in the organization it’s the ultimate “armchair GM” move to question the Yankees four years later.

The irony in all this is with all the time, words, and exhaustive debate we have spent on Joba Chamberlain, a pitcher from that same 2007 prospect class has taken his opportunity and run with it. His name isn’t Marquez, Cox, Sanchez, or Robertson either, but the afterthought that no one paid much attention.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: David Robertson, Humberto Sanchez, J. Brent Cox, Jeff Marquez, Joba Chamberlain, John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Phil Hughes, Trevor Hoffman