What is known about Jose Contreras is limited to the glimpse we got yesterday at Yankee Stadium and the superlatives from scouts who have seen the Cuban throw his filthy splitter and high-octane fastball.
What nobody, including Joe Torre and Contreras, knows is where the 31-year-old will fit into the Yankees’ staff. With Roger Clemens, David Wells, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Jeff Weaver in pinstripes, Contreras could join Sterling Hitchcock in the bullpen, which means George Steinbrenner would be paying $13 million to starters working in relief.
Playing the role of team player, Contreras said he would do as told.
“I am ready to do whatever is necessary,” said the 6-foot-4, 230-pound right-hander with enormous hands, introduced at a Stadium press conference yesterday when he filled out a No. 56 jersey. “I have always been a starter and I prefer to be a starter but I am ready to do anything the Yankees ask me. I am the last one to arrive so I understand that.”
Contreras, who signed a four-year deal worth $32 million and was tagged with the nickname “Titan of Bronze” by Fidel Castro, was considered Cuba’s best pitcher when he defected last October.
A starter his entire career in the Cuban League and international tournaments, Contreras has the equipment to work in the pen, said Gordon Blakeley, the Yankees VP of baseball operations who signed Contreras in December.
“He has the stuff to pitch late in the game,” Blakeley said of Contreras’ 97 mph fastball, sweeping slider and trap-door splitter. “He can get guys out with his fastball, but the splitter is real good.”
While he is known in America for fanning 10 Orioles in eight shutout innings for the Cuban national team in 1999, Contreras’ stats in Cuba are more impressive. In seven years of Cuban League play, he was 117-50 with a 2.82 ERA. Since 1999, Contreras was 7-0 with an 0.59 ERA in three major international tournaments.
Those gaudy numbers were as a starter. But when Torre gathers his pitchers next week in Tampa, there is no guarantee Contreras will be in the rotation with Clemens, whom Contreras admits is his idol.
Torre was asked if he envisioned a bullpen spot for Contreras. The manager said, “I really haven’t because I haven’t seen him pitch. We will see in spring training. Hopefully we will have good weather so we can give everybody a good shake. We have to take a lot into consideration, the ability to pitch out of the bullpen to begin with. Because when you are a starter, physically [relieving] isn’t the easiest thing to do. Hopefully by the time it comes time to make a decision we will make the right one.”
Contreras admires Clemens for his “guts and bravado” and indicated he is like Clemens when it comes to moving batters off the plate.
“That’s defense for a pitcher, pitching inside,” Contreras said.
As a starter or reliever.