Hey everyone, I was talking to someone the other day about the Yankees, and how they want to keep Joba on an innings limit again. This would put a serious strain on the bullpen, however. An idea I came up with (although I am sure others have thought of it previously under different circumstances) is to split starts for joba and Phil Hughes. Have one start and go five, and have the other come in for the last four, The next time reverse so that the opposite one starts. If the Yankees did this, each pitcher would get to about 144 innings (32 starts * 4.5 innings per start). This keeps both their pitch counts down, and sets them up for 2010 as full time starters. The only arguement against this set-up is that it takes a bullpen spot away. However, I see no reason why the team couldn't leave open starters on their third day of rest (usually a throw day) for the bullpen in this situation, on one inning limits. This adds another potential four relievers, and should be more than enough to compensate for Hughes's place. I was just wondering what everyone thought on the feasibility of such a scenario?

And if you are not a Yankees fan, or think Joba and/or Hughes are overrated, I got it. I have seen plenty of comments to this effect, and I respectfully disagree :)