I see many Yankees fans are up in arms about the possibility of Joba Chamberlain being traded. Just like in politics you have hard positions on both sides and many in the middle. During Chamberlain’s three years in the big leagues I have seen a very immature pitcher with a great arm have middling success. Best case scenario for Chamberlain is a quality middle reliever that I think will still break some hearts (see Game 4 World Series where A-Rod bailed him out). Most teams don’t have multiple pitching prospects with decent ceilings. The Yankees have Chamberlain, Hughes, McAllister, Bleich, and even David Phelps to name a few. There is one name, Manuel Banuelos, which could be the best one of all and make us forget the overrated righty from Nebraska.

Mike Newman from Scouting the Sally had an opportunity to watch Banuelos pitch back on July 10th of this year. He also talked about Banuelos during Wednesday’s show. The young lefty went 9-5 in the Sally with a 2.67 ERA. What impressed me the most is how Mike described his composure on the mound:

Banuelos showed the maturity and composure of a pitcher in New York, not Charleston pinstripes. Armed with a quiet confidence, he was in control throughout the game and was only in trouble once. With seven hits and a walk in six and two thirds, it was arguably one of his least impressive performances to boot.

That is such a rare compliment you hear anyone pay a young pitcher. Usually it’s composure and mound makeup that takes time to develop. Compare this to the lack of composure you see from the emotional Chamberlain who constantly fights himself on the mound when the game turns negative.

I realize it’s ridiculous to compare Banuelos, a low A prospect, to a big league pitcher like Chamberlain. That’s not the point of the piece. What I am saying is don’t be afraid to give up on Joba because he isn’t a sure thing – Halladay most certainly is. I could see if the Yankees farm system was dry (see Mets) and Chamberlain was the only young prize you have. The only ones emotionally tied to Joba are the fans since most sportswriters who cover the team can see how ordinary Joba really is. Bob Klapisch of The Record even supported the rumored request of Chamberlain and Montero for Halladay saying how he would choose Joba over Hughes. Add in my point that there is more to come after Joba and it makes that much more sense.

A young lefty, who throws in the low nineties, has some clue about his secondary pitcher, and poise to boot should excite the fans. Acquiring Roy Halladay for the baseball equivalent of a Vegas roulette table is just too good to be to true. Get a deal done – period and end of story. Remember there is more good arms possibly on the way

Tags: Charleston Riverdogs, Joba Chamberlain, Manuel Banuelos, Mike Newman, New York Yankees, Scouting the Sally