Resting Your Starters

With another Tigers loss today it looks like the Yankees are starting to pull away for the Wild Card and are making the division a race. I don't think the Yankees can rest their starters and take the Wild Card. Pride aside this year their are 2 playoff formats for the ALDS. In one teams get off days to travel after games 2 and 4. In the other teams get off days after games 1, 2, and 4. The team with the best record in baseball gets to pick which format they want. The team with the better record of the matchup would also get an extra home game.

The extra off days format two gives would allow the Yankees to give their starters 4 days rest without changing their rotation. I don't know if Clemens can pitch hurt on 3 days rest at 46 years old. The extra off day also can only help Pettitte. The extra off days help the bullpen as well. Rivera is getting older and Vizcaino has been hurt. The Joba rules will also probably be relaxed for the playoffs but you never know. Posada in particular should be helped by the extra off days. And of course their is the fact that the Yankees probably don't want to have to face the Angels. Being able to pick what playoff format you want is to valuable to just give up on.