TAMPA – Orlando Hernandez became more clipped and perturbed as a 10-minute interview session about his status progressed. He often did not wait for a question to be translated to Spanish to snap a response, and he seemed as eager to linger in this forum as he did to stay in Cuba.
“Last question,” he said before answering quickly and shuffling away. But, of course, this was not the final question on this subject Hernandez will field this spring. This was just the beginning. Because as this Yankee camp opens, he is the Lame Duque.
“By mid-spring, it can get real interesting,” Roger Clemens said of the upcoming rotation battle.
Clemens, Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte are guaranteed spots. Joe Torre insisted at a Tuesday staff meeting that the remaining two slots will come down to who pitches best in spring among Hernandez, Sterling Hitchcock and David Wells.
Hernandez has started in 99 of his 100 Yankee games, and Hitchcock and Wells did not sign two-year contracts to be long relievers. Wells would go more willingly to a salad bar than the bullpen.
Plus, Hitchcock and Hernandez have elbow problems in their recent past, and Wells had back surgery last year. These are delicate thirtysomethings who more than ever need spring training to build slowly toward April with an eye on having enough left in October. Do you really want Hitchcock feeling he must get big outs on March 12 in Dunedin?
This is why Hernandez is expected to be dealt in spring. But when? The timing matters. Will patience increase or decrease value? Is retaining this commodity best for the long term?
“I’m waiting for someone to make the decision for me by making me an offer I can’t refuse,” GM Brian Cashman said.
Initially, the offseason plan was for Hernandez to be in the rotation. Then George Steinbrenner did his cowboy thing, and signed Wells without the consultation of the baseball staff. The Yanks nearly traded Hernandez to the White Sox for Kip Wells and Jeff Liefer. The Yanks do have one firm offer now, possibly from Chicago, and are lukewarm about it.
The Yanks see Hernandez as a legitimate No. 3 starter and don’t want to undersell him. They can hope he pitches well and a contender loses a starter, which would up Hernandez’ value. But there is at least an equal possibility Hernandez breaks down or whines his way through spring, and his $3.2 million contract for 2002 looks prohibitive rather than reasonable.
In addition, the Yanks began each of the last two seasons seemingly set in the rotation, yet eventually obtained veteran starters Denny Neagle (2000) and Hitchcock (2001). As Cashman reasons, if form holds the Yanks probably will need a starter such as Hernandez in July, and it very well may cost more in dollars and talent than simply retaining Duque. But what is the emotional toll to the team of keeping around an unhappy Hernandez as a reliever until he is needed in the rotation?
Yesterday, Hernandez pronounced himself fully healthy and pleased to have Hitchcock and Wells as teammates again. He said, “I’m happy the Yankees kept me here and all the rumors were just rumors.” But those rumors are going to grow stronger now, not weaker. The first discomfort of this Yankee spring has emerged. Maybe it is possible to have too much pitching.
