The great debate: Is Joba better suited for the pen or the starting rotation?

The question has permeated the New York sports discussion world for the past few days: Is Joba better for the Yankees in the pen or the rotation?

My answer is simple: In the bullpen.

Let me explain.

Joba has emerged as one of the best set-up men in baseball during his time. He blows his fastball by the hitters and when they sit on the fastball, he catches them swinging on the slider. He has only given up two earned runs in all his innings as a set-up man.

The confidence that he has instilled in his teammates, coaches and Yankees fans can be seen everywhere. Fans are confident when Joba enters the game. Twice this season he has been called on to enter the game with runners in scoring position and less than two outs and gotten the job done.

Joba is the best bridge the Yankees have to Mariano. He is effective and has yet to blow a save opportunity. Although baseball is about 27 outs, if you can shorten the game for the starters down to 21 outs, why not? The one area in pitching the Yankees have the advantage over the Red Sox is Mariano and Joba, why give that up?

The Yankees teams that used to win championships had unbeatable bullpens. Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, Ramiro Mendoza, they all set-up for Mariano and made the game seven innings. Joba does the same, he shortens the game down to seven innings.

The best case I can make for his role in the bullpen involves tonight. With the bases loaded and one out, Brian Bruney was yanked from the game. If Joba is not available, who can the Yankees go to in that situation? Kyle Farnsworth? LaTroy Hawkins? Ross Ohlondorf? None are exactly going to instill confidence in the hearts of the fans and the players. Joba, though, has the expectation that he can get out of the situation.

By adding Joba to the rotation, the Yankees are left without a true set-up man. None of the aforementioned men are good enough to be a consistent set-up man and get the job done efficiently. They serve better in the 6th and 7th innings.

Joba can also serve as the replacement to Mariano. As much as Yankees fans don't want to think about it, Mo will be gone one day. Who better to replace him than a homegrown arm. No free agent will want to be the Yankees closer, that would just be dumb.

Also, where Joba to go to the rotation right now, that means one of the pitchers must be sent down or moved to the bullpen. Who are you going to send? Phil Hughes? That would make every Yankees fan wish he had Santana and hate Cashman. Mike Mussina? He's not going to the bullpen for $12.5 million. Ian Kennedy? Again, that's going to look like a bad move keeping him.

Although Yankees fans think having Joba for seven innings would be lights out, let's remember that seeing a guy for one inning is different than seeing him for three or four times through the lineup. Will the hitters pick up on his pitches? Will Joba lose the bite on his pitches as he gets toward the 100 pitch count?

Last year against the Indians, Joba actually got hit up pretty well against them primarily because they had seen him so much. The hitters were used to what he was throwing.

The Yankees could use Chamberlain in the rotation, but would be better served having him as the set-up man. Even next year, the Yankees would just need to sign two free agent pitchers ,and with such a deep class of free agents next year, that should not be a problem.

Joba shines in the set-up role out of the bullpen. He shortens the game. Don't make the game longer, let him continue to be one of the premier set-up men in baseball.