The Yanks nab Benitez.

[Zeno]

So the Yanks get A. Benitez. Is this a big help or just a painful stopgap measure? Is he going to fit in playing downtown ball for the pinstripe nine? Would Bill James approve this move? I don’t have the numbers so I’m lost on this one.

-Zeno

[Glenn]

The thing about Benitez, having watched him a lot, is that you can tell when he comes out if he is going to have a bad outing after the first few pitches. If they are willing to pull him when he throws 5 straight balls for his first 5 pitches he is a good aquisition. He is not a smart pitcher and really only throws his fastball for a strike. This creates a problem against good hitters because they can hit fastballs. When he is out of control, he is just terrible. I applied for mets closer earlier in the year under the premise that I can throw a strike but I have not heard back.

[andyfox]

Well he's certainly better than Jason Anderson. And Antonio Osuna. And Chris Hammond. And Stirling Hitchcock. Since their starting pitchers average 52 years of age, the Yankees' worst innings, in the absence of Karsay, are the 7th and 8th and he can help there.

As for the Mets, looks like they might make 100 losses. Art Howe will have to strike that jaw out pose talked about in Moneyball pretty often the second half. Alomar, Burnitz and Benitez are gone. Rumor has it the Dodgers want Piazza back for first base next year.

[Dynasty]

He'll be an adequate 7th-8th inning pitcher. But, there are several better ones in the A.L. All-Stars Brendan Donnelly and Shigetosi Hasegawa come to mind.