If Joba Chamberlain wins the fifth starting spot in the Yankees’ rotation he won’t have any inning restrictions. “Joba Rules” have been called off and the young pitcher will be able to let it fly in 2010.

Yankees pitching coach, Dave Eiland, told the NY Daily News, “He’s just going to go out and pitch and he’ll be the one who’ll dictate when he comes out as far as getting hit or getting tired or losing his stuff. He’s not going to have any restrictions, so Joe (Girardi) and I are not going to have to go into the game thinking, ‘Oh, he’s got 85 pitches or six innings or whatever comes first.’ We don’t have to game plan it out. The kid gloves are off, and he’s just going to go out and pitch and he knows that and he’s going to come in and be all geared up to win that job, as are the other guys. Competition should bring out the best in everyone.”

Joba will be competing with Phil Hughes, Chad Gaudin, and Sergio Mitre for the fifth starting spot, but Hughes poses the biggest threat for Joba. If Hughes wins the spot expect him to be on an inning limits. Joba will pitch out of the bullpen in that case.

Phil Hughes pitched great as the Yankees setup man during the regular season and had some postseason struggles in that same role. Joba was sent to the bullpen for the playoffs and by the end of the World Series he was one of Joe Girardi’s go-to guys out of the ‘pen. Both players can get the job done out of the bullpen, but it makes more sense to have Joba become the fifth starter because of him not having inning limitations anymore. 

It’s about time the Yankees make a decision on who Joba Chamberlain is. Is he a starter? Is he a setup man? Is he the heir to Mariano? Stop jerking the kid around and choose his roll. 

My personal belief is that Joba should be the fifth starter and Hughes should work as the setup man. After 2010 the Yankees may need to fill holes left by Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte (neither has made a decision of retirement after 2010 though). The man who the Yankees choose to put in the bullpen this year could step into either role (starter or closer) in 2011 and stay there for a long time.