Juan a Job?

ESPN reports that the Yankees signed Juan Acevedo to a minor-league contract today. He gets $150K guaranteed and $900K if hr makes the major-league team. The Tigers had him for $850K last year, but refused to go to arbitration after he recorded 28 saves. The White Sox were talking to him but inexplicably passed him by and instead signed Rick White.

Acevedo is a good pickup for the Yankees. He has been consistently good in different organizations. Last year was probably a career year, but the Yankees aren't paying him for it. He is also good insurance if Karsay's injured back does not respond.

The Yankees now have three right-handers (Acevedo, Karsay, and Osuna) and one left-hander (Hammond) to set up the closer Rivera. Add, part-time lefty reliever Randy Choate and probably two starters, and that's the Yankees probable pen. Choate, who the article says improved in September--he pitched one inning in the month--, is only there because of his left-handedness. Hitchcock may replace him as the second left-hander in the pen (or if The Boss has his way, Paulie Walnuts may pay him a visit).

After dumping three-fifths of last year's bullpen, the Yankees have been building a nice little bullpen. On paper, the additions look pretty good (though Hammond worries me). Whether they will perform better than the 2001 version and whether they will be as overworked as last year's group remains to be seen. They may have changed the players but unless they give Torre a viable second lefty option and stop yanking, excuse the pun, pen-mates to appear in the rotation--which may be difficult with an aging rotation--, then the 2002 pen seems as ill-fated as the 2001 one.