Back in 2009, NYBD contributor (you can hear him on frequently on my radio show) Joe Delgrippo talked about how the “worst place for a young pitcher is the Yankees 40 man roster.” Here’s why:

When I covered the 2008 Double A playoffs in Trenton, I saw a picture of McCutchen in Jason Jones’ locker and asked about his reaction to that trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates which dealt “Cutch” and Karstens for Xavier Nady and Marte. I asked Jones if he would have liked to have been involved in that trade.

“Absolutely,” replied Jones. “Many of us here realize how the Yankees work and feel our best chance to the Major Leagues is with another franchise.” Jones was correct as Karstens went directly to the majors, and Ohlendorf cracked the Pirate rotation a few weeks later.

Fast forward to 2011, and the name Jones could be replaced with Warren, Phelps, or Noesi. All three were passed over for Brian Gordon, a journeyman outfielder converted starter that was claimed off waivers from the Phillies Lehigh Valley Triple-A affiliate. Joel Sherman of the NY Post believes the team didn’t want to throw any of the three kids into the fire against a strong Texas lineup; fearing a bad performance would devalue them. Huh?

Remember a pitcher by the name of David Cone? His first Mets start was April 27th, 1987. He lost 11-1 to the Houston Astros, giving up 10 runs in 5 innings. Two weeks later he earned his first win of the season by tossing a complete game against the Cincinnati Reds. A year later he was a 20 game winner. Do you think Cone was devalued after his Houston start? Has the league become so myopic that one start against Texas on a Thursday in June determines a young pitchers fate? We talk about small sample size, but isn’t that the ultimate example of just that?

Maybe Brian Gordon becomes the next Aaron Small and helps lead the Yankees to the playoffs. The scouting report on him is he has “moxie” and his prior career as a hitter helps him on the mound. The reality is he’s 32 years old and pitched exactly 4 big league innings. Could he fool the Rangers on a given day? Sure. Remember how Small fared after that magical 2005 season? Aren’t Phelps, Warren, and Noesi the future? Just last week Hector Noesi gave the Yankees six decent innings (2 earned runs) against the Red Sox in relief.  David Phelps is 35-12 with a 2.57 ERA during his minor league career. Adam Warren has the same MILB ERA as Phelps. What more do you need? Are any of them worse than Ivan Nova? The same Nova they threw into the pennant race last year. How will you ever see what you have with these kids if you don’t let them pitch? I don’t understand the thinking of the Yankees organization.

The promotion of Brian Gordon may be the ultimate example of why the Yankees 40 man roster is a death knell for the careers of young pitchers.

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: Adam Warren, Brian Gordon, David Phelps, Hector Noesi, Jason Jones, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies