Are the Hankees going to trade Joba?

Read between the lines. The Joba Rules don't obviate him being trade bait. Why not get something good for the guy, rather than have him prove a bust in his first full season.

Reporedly, the Twins want nothing less than Joba (along with Melky and maybe some other prospects) for trading away Santana.

JOBA NOT A LOCK TO START NEXT SEASON
By George King, NY Post

November 21, 2007 -- Those who have seen him start strongly believe Joba Chamberlain can evolve into Josh Beckett and insist his greatest value to the Yankees is working every fifth day as a No. 1 stud. Others, who only witnessed Chamberlain bounce out of the bullpen and finally build a sturdy bridge to Mariano Rivera last season, believe the Yankees are nuts to delete Chamberlain from the bullpen.

And the Yankees? A month ago, before Joe Girardi replaced Joe Torre and Dave Eiland took over for Ron Guidry, Hank Steinbrenner said Chamberlain would be in the rotation and that's the way the organization is tilting, but . . .

“It's not 100 percent but I think we are leaning that way,'' Eiland said yesterday about using Chamberlain as a starter. “We haven't had long discussions on that part of it yet. I am sure we will in the near future. We are leaning that way and that's where we would like to see him.''

With a little under three months until pitchers and catchers report to Tampa, the Yankees have time to alter a staff that needs a bona fide No. 1 starter. If Andy Pettitte comes back or Johan Santana or Erik Bedard is acquired, somebody from the group of Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Mike Mussina and Chamberlain is going to get bumped. Kennedy, with three major league starts, could be sent to the minors, but what would be so terrible about using Chamberlain to set up Rivera? After going 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in 19 big league relief appearances in which he fanned 34 and gave up 12 hits in 24 innings, the Yankees know his high-octane fastball and filthy slider can handle the late-inning role.

But if he is Beckett? That means he is a starter. According to agent Randy Hendricks, Pettitte isn't going to decide if he wants to retire or pitch for the Yankees until next month. The price for Santana, if the Twins decide to move him, will be rich. From the Yankees they will likely want Hughes and Kennedy in addition to Melky Cabrera or Robinson Cano. If the Orioles move Bedard, it's not likely they will trade him within the AL East.

As for the bullpen, Kyle “The Mop'' Farnsworth is the only experienced late-inning reliever and he has failed in two years. The Yankees had an interest in free agent Francisco Cordero to set up Rivera, but he wants to close. They are interested in lefty free agents Jeremy Affeldt and Trever Miller. Luis Vizcaino remains an option to return but he is also a free agent.