Wednesday's Thoughts: From Four to Floor?

Javier Vazquez has already failed once as a New York Yankee, and that's why the Yankees fans aren't exactly crying that Joe Girardi has elected to skip his "fourth" starter this weekend against the Red Sox.

Fans were told that Vazquez's second run in the big apple would be different; that he know longer faced the pressure of being a top of the rotation guy and that now he could 'just pitch'. Instead, Vazquez to this point has been even worse than disastrous 2004 that caused him to be shipped out Arizona for Randy Johnson.

Skipping Vazquez against the Red Sox is the right thing to do for a number of reasons, the least of which is how poorly he's pitched this season. His record in big games is not so hot, as his then manager Ozzie Guillen so bluntly pointed out in 2008.

There's little chance the Yankees are too concerned about the confidence of Vazquez, but the track record just isn't good. For Yankees fans, the season has started out all too smoothly, and Vazquez is setting himself up to be the goat of the regular season, a trouncing by the Red Sox just won't do.

While some have already called for trading Vazquez, it is unlikely the Yankees brass is on the same page. The Yankees, albeit in good conscience have set themselves up to NEED him and so far, the need has only increased.

Phil Hughes has been spectacular, but with an innings limit at 170, I have to wonder if the Yankees would even consider him as a potential playoff starter (schedule changes mean they can't use 3 starters as they did last season). The problem with the system they have set up (and failed with last season) is that the deeper into games Hughes pitches, the shorter it is before he comes out of the rotation.

The fact is that the Yankees need Vazquez to be their fourth guy, but for that to happen, the fans will have to support him too. That won't happen if he gets pounded by the Sox.