Hughes Wins Battle for Fifth Spot

The Yankees announced today that Phil Hughes has won the job to become the team's fifth starter, beating out Joba Chamberlain, Sergio Mitre, Alfredo Aceves and Chad Gaudin, who was placed on waivers yesterday.

Hughes, who turns 24 in June, will be slotted in the rotation behind ace C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez.

"It was what I set out in the spring to do," Hughes said manager Joe Girardi announced the decision. "I grew up a starter in high school, minor leagues, even my first couple partial seasons in the big leagues. It was something that I really wanted and I feel like I'm ready for the challenge and ready for the season that lies ahead. "

Chamberlain will be inserted into the eighth inning set-up man role, becoming the main piece in the bridge to closer Mariano Rivera.

The manager said that was based on a number of factors: Hughes can pitch more innings than Chamberlain at this point in his career; Hughes has gotten better command of his fastball, and is bigger and more mature than he was.

Chamberlain was at the Yankees' complex about an hour before Girardi announced the winner and said "You go with the flow. That's what I've done."

Hughes will pitch Friday on three days' rest to line him up to take his turn the first time in the regular season. This spring, he has a 4.05 ERA and .240 batting average against, with 10 strikeouts and two walks. 

Hughes and Chamberlain spoke briefly at Steinbrenner Field.

"He just said 'congrats," Hughes said. "I think we all trust in the front office and the coaching staff to make the right decisions. We just get paid to go out and throw the ball. There's no bitterness or anything like that. We're all pulling for the same goal, to do what we did last year. The roles might be switched but we're pulling for each other."

Hughes made seven starts at the beginning of last season, then was moved to the bullpen after Chien-Ming Wang got hurt. Chamberlain was in the rotation during the regular season, then was shifted in the postseason to the relief role, which appeared to suit him better.

"I felt like everyone had been given an equal opportunity," Hughes said.

Mitre and Aceves, long shots to win the spot, also likely will pitch out of the bullpen.

Gaudin, who turned 27 on Wednesday, will receive $725,410 in termination pay rather than the non-guaranteed $2.95 million salary he and the team agreed to in January to avoid salary arbitration.

New York acquired Gaudin from San Diego in August for cash, and he went 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA in six starts and five relief appearances for the Yankees last season. He was on the roster for all three rounds of the postseason but appeared in just one game, a one-inning relief appearance against the Los Angeles Angels in the AL championship series.

Perfect move by the Yankees; I couldn't agree with it more.

Hughes, as I've stated before, has better projected stuff as a starter than Chamberlain does, and in my opinion, Chamberlain should be the heir apparent to Mariano.

This is good for Hughes too because even though he is on an innings limit, around 175 innings pitched, he will be able to learn from four excellent starting pitchers on how to be a successful major league pitcher and it will bode well for him in the future.

Hughes will not be counted on to be a savior for this team, which at this stage in his career, he can not be counted on as. He will be needed as a number five starter, who will probably be called upon to win between 10 and 12 games.