Javier Vaz-queso is worth about as much as this jar of Tostitos product. Today vs. the White Sox he lasted 3 innings, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, 3 HR - 2 to Andrew Jones (41 HR, 129 RBI in 2006) and one to light-hitting Mark Kotsay.
I mean really, the Yankees have to be fed up with this by now - I know, it's only 5 starts - well what the hell is he making $11.5 million for? The Cubs sent Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen and he makes $18.875 million a year. Swallow up your pride, go to the pen, figure it out one inning at a time, get the ERA down and get the confidence up. Big Z has let up 1 run in 4 IP since moving to the pen - he had a 7.45 ERA before being moved - 1 run in 4 innings is a 2.25 ERA. Try it out with Vazquez. I know the Yankees don't have the luxury of trotting out Ted Lilly as a fifth starter, but give someone else a shot.
The one move I would make is to demote him to the bullpen and give Sergio Mitre a chance. I mean shit, he's only making $850,000 this year, give him a shot to earn it, because the Big Cheese ain;t earning his check. What's the harm in that? He didn't exactly wow everyone with the outings last year when given the chance to start - 3-3 record, 6.79 ERA and only 2 outings where he let up more than 5 ER - Vaz-queso has let up 5 ER in3 of his 5 starts so far this year. I mean how much more of Javier Vaz-queso can we tolerate? $11.5 million a year? That's almost $1 million for every point on his ERA - 9.78 after today's debacle. His WHIP is 2.04 - over 2 baserunners an inning. Unacceptable. He's pitched in NY before, so there is no excuse. Putting too much pressure on yourself Javier? Well, 14-10, 4.91 ERA, 1.29 WHIP in 2004 with the Yankees - we all know you can do it. Second only to Randy Johnson in K's since 2000? Harness your inner beast and pitch like you can pitch.
Vaz-queso has worked so hard to get his ERA down from a 12.71 (after his first start) - I mean he had that sucker all the way down to 8.27 after he struggled through 5.1 innings in his only W of the year, against the A's on April 20th.
Six years seems like an eternity ago. I mean six years ago, King of the Douches Kanye West had the best album with College Dropout and Yeah! by Usher was a top song. Scorcese's The Aviator (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby (Hillary Swank) were two of the best movies of the year.
$11.5 millions bucks? You're trying to tell me Andy Pettitte is only worth an extra $250,000?
Vazquez, get it together. You're a good pitcher pitching like shit. Everyone has bad stretches, but this needs to end. Yankee fans can be brutal, but only if you deserve it - and right now, you're brutal to watch.
On a lighter note, we won 2 games today over Niagara and got great pitching - 5-2 and 12-1. Another big game tomorrow.
Evan Almighty with the wife now, later sombrero's!
