Replacing Joba with K-Rob

Via a gaggle of reporters from the Daily News:

After Joe Girardi said last week that Joba Chamberlain needed to earn the role of eighth-inning man, the reliever tested his manager’s patience Sunday. Chamberlain began the inning by walking the Royals’ No. 9 hitter, Chris Getz, and then allowed a two-run homer to Scott Podsednik.

Girardi was ready to yank him for David Robertson.

“If it’s something that we have to do, we’ll address it,” said Girardi of putting Robertson in the eighth-inning role. “I was prepared to bring (Robertson) in if Joba gave up another baserunner.”

After the home run, Chamberlain got Jason Kendall to ground out, struck out Wilson Betemit and got Jose Guillen to fly out.

“I understand, I have to be better and I have to get better,” said Chamberlain. “But you have to keep it in perspective and understand what you’re doing to try and get better.”

Joba has had an awful July, surrendering 9 earned runs over 10 innings pitched. His ERA on the month is 8.10 and his season ERA now sits just under 6.00, at 5.95. Bad luck is certainly a culprit here, negatively influencing Joba’s line, as his BABIP during the month-long rough patch is .435. His xFIP is a respectable 4.11, meaning that this isn’t some sort of trend, rather, it is a performative outlier that will eventually pass. However, even with that in mind, replacing Joba in the 8^th inning with Dave Robertson isn’t a bad idea.

After enduring a shaky start to the season, Robertson has delivered for Joe Girardi and the Yankees. With a 4.76 BB/9, the walks are a bit much – and that may never change – but the strikeouts are there. If Girardi wants to juggle Robertson and Joba, at least for the time being, I see no real harm in doing that.

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