Yesterday’s deal that sent Gio Gonzalez from Oakland to Washington for 4 top prospects should make it clear the cost of acquiring starting pitching has moved from astronomical to absurd. This just days after the Reds gave up 3 of their top-10 prospects and an established major league arm to acquire Mat Latos from the Padres.

The Yankees have tried to acquire top notch pitching. Last winter, Brian Cashman worked hard convincing Seattle to part with Felix Hernandez. This winter, he reached out to San Francisco for Matt Cain and was rebuffed.  If he were to acquire someone, let’s say like John Danks (who just signed a contract extension in Chicago), the price appears to be steeper than what Jack Zduriencik was asking for Cliff Lee during the summer of 2010.

I wrote earlier in the week the Yankees are going to have to rely on their internal options. As much as Hiroki Kuroda or Roy Oswalt would fit in the rotation, the organization has decided to hold the line at the current payroll. Player development, always important, is that much more crucial to the team’s future. You have Ivan Nova, Hector Noesi, David Phelps, Adam Warren, D.J. Mitchell and the Killer B’s, but no organization can have enough pitching.

Enter Joba Chamberlain.  How about giving him a shot as a starter when he returns from elbow surgery? Yes, you know I am not a fan or believer of Joba. He was the most talked about topic during the early years of this site, whether it was debating rotation versus bullpen or how valuable his performance was in reality versus the hype. That is yesterday’s news and not productive to the current situation, as the Yankees need to collect as many starting arms as possible.

Both the Yankees and Chamberlain are at fault for his failed stint in the rotation. The “Joba Rules” were the first foray into extreme innings and pitch counts. It was more the process of how they got there than the actually philosophy. The 2-3 inning starts in September of 2009 might have been the most embarrassing situation I have seen on a baseball field in years. Chamberlain also didn’t help matters. He constantly was handed opportunities that he failed to seize. Yes, there have been injuries, but the fact that Joe Girardi had to give him a tongue lashing the first week of spring training in 2010 showed me he wasn’t serious about his job or winning a rotation spot. I never felt there was a commitment to conditioning as well. By all account Joba is a great kid, but never someone that gave me the impression he burned with the desire to be great.

Despite my belief that Chamberlain doesn’t possess the physical or mental ability to start in the big leagues, I do think the current baseball landscape makes it important to exhaust every possibility when it comes to starting pitching. There have been small sample sizes where Joba showed he has the ability to be a solid big league starter. In 2008, he posted a 2.76 ERA in 12 starts before injuring himself in Texas. In 2009, he had an ERA of 3.58 in late July before a late season meltdown and the innings fiasco.

Best case scenario, in my opinion, is you can develop a decent 5-6 inning pitcher in the backend of the rotation; unlike most backend guys, he has the potential to give you dominant performances (see Fenway Park in July of 2008). The Yankees have been good at developing middle inning relievers. David Robertson, George Kontos, and maybe even Phil Hughes are solid bullpen arms. Hector Noesi has proven he can give them some quality innings out of the pen.

Remember, Chamberlain is returning from Tommy John surgery. Some believe he will miss the entire season, but June would make it one year since his season ended. Regardless of when he returns, the 2012 season is a wash for him and should be used for development.

Have him spend the summer in Scranton as a starter. Evaluate his mental approach to the rotation and make sure he understands the need for conditioning. We know he will dominate Triple-A; stats are not the goal; rather it’s the process of whether he can successfully make the transition from the bullpen to the rotation. Maybe he can get a September start or two depending on the Yankees situation with the standings. Who knows, maybe he progresses enough where the Yankees plug him into the rotation earlier if they have an urgent need. It’s probably a more realistic scenario than trading for someone.

What’s the worst that could happen? If he fails, he returns to the bullpen and continues to contribute in that capacity. But if he is successful, you potentially have another starting pitching in the equation for 2013, which by the way, is his final year before free agency. Who knows, perhaps he even becomes a chip in a deal, or he allows you to make Ivan Nova expendable in a trade.

I have come around on Chamberlain to the rotation. I don’t think he will ultimately be successful in that role, but I think it’s clear the Yankees didn’t properly handle his first go around well. Brian Cashman has made it clear during interviews that Chamberlain’s days as a starting pitcher are over so I am not counting on this scenario ever coming to fruition. The cost of starting pitching, however, has to give him reason to at least consider Chamberlain one last time. The Yankees aren’t relying on him in 2012, so why not make the most of what could be a wasted season for him? Give him one last look as a starting pitcher.

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: Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees