Yankees move top prospect Justus Sheffield to the bullpen
The Yankees haven’t called Justus Sheffield to the major quite yet, but the decision to move him to the bullpen is a precursor to bringing him to the Bronx.
Usually, when a pitcher is transitioned from the starting rotation to a bullpen it is a clear demotion. That’s not the case with Justus Sheffield. The Yankees decision to move him to the bullpen in Scranton is a clear sign that they’re preparing to hand him his major league debut.
The chances of Sheffield joining the Yankees rotation were never that high. Team officials clearly are concerned about his lack of command. Even when the talented southpaw has pitched well this year, it’s taken him too many pitches to work deep into games. Brian Cashman and company are certainly being cautious about his workload. Blowing out his arm by giving him too many innings at his young age would be disastrous.
The Yankees also happen to have a need for bullpen depth. A.J. Cole has really struggled lately. Zach Britton hasn’t pitched up to expectations as a reliable left hander either. The fact that Sheffield is a quality lefty who can throw multiple innings make him a perfect addition for Aaron Boone down the stretch.
It’s still unclear when the Yankees might pull the trigger on transitioning Sheffield from Scranton to the big leagues. The smart decision would be to give him a couple of outings from the bullpen in the minors before calling on him to make his major league debut. Allowing Sheffield the time and space to adjust to the routine and mental approach to coming on in relief would ease his transition to the Yankees.
So here's some news or #Yankees foreshadowing perhaps: Justus Sheffield would be on turn to start for SWB today, but Nestor Cotres is starting. SWB notes have Sheffield listed as a reliever with Adams, Rosa, King, and Swanson listed as the next 4 days' probably starters.
— Lou DiPietro (@LouDiPietroWFAN) August 21, 2018
Add it all up and it’s pretty obvious Sheffield is slated to be a September call up. Once Sept. 1 arrives the Yankees are free to bring up any player on their 40 man roster. Sheffield already qualifies so the team can effectively bring him up as an “extra” player. If the organization believes he can pitch meaningful innings out of the bullpen down the stretch then calling him up is an obvious move.
Next. Gleyber Torres is ready to change positions. dark
Sheffield still profiles as a starter for the Yankees in the future, but his ability to contribute to the team in 2018 will come out of the bullpen. It will serve as a great way to give him a taste of life in the majors. At the very least, it’ll give the organization a much better idea of what they have in him moving forward.