Open Thread: Rotation Plans

The trade deadline has come and gone, and for the first time since 2002, the Yankees didn’t make a single move. That’s in the past now, so the Yankees are moving on with the team and rotation they have. Jack Curry says they’re leaning towards employing a six-man rotation for at least the next turn through the rotation, which makes sense. They can’t just take Phil Hughes out of the rotation and re-insert Ivan Nova because the scheduled won’t allow it, they don’t line up. By keeping Hughes in the rotation for another turn, the Yankees can do this…

Monday @ White Sox: CC Sabathia
Tuesday @ White Sox: Phil Hughes
Wednesday @ White Sox: A.J. Burnett
Thursday @ White Sox: Ivan Nova
Friday @ Red Sox: Bartolo Colon
Saturday @ Red Sox: Freddy Garcia or Sabathia
Sunday @ Red Sox: Garcia or Sabathia

Everyone gets an extra day of rest, and the Yankees will be able to run their top three starters out there in Fenway Park next week. They have the Monday after the Boston series off, so they can re-evaluate things then. It’ll give them a chance to take Hughes out of the rotation, take Nova out of the rotation, whatever their heart desires. They also have the option of sticking to a six-man rotation for the next few week, though I don’t love the idea. It would allow them to give Colon and Garcia extra rest for the next few weeks, and that’s a good thing because they need to save some of those bullets for what we hope is a playoff drive. Either way, that rotation above is what we’ll see this week, in all likelihood.

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Here is the night’s open thread. The ESPN Sunday Night Game is in St. Louis for the Cubs and Cardinals (Dempster vs. Westbrook), but talk about whatever you like. Go nuts.