MLB Network analyst Al Leiter talks to The Post’s Justin Terranova about the Yankees’ demise, the Red Sox’s David Price dilemma and the plight of the starting pitcher.
Q: Do you think the criticism of Aaron Boone was fair?
A: Not even 1 percent. It wasn’t his fault at all. It’s not like I am coming from the ’60s or ’70s, I last pitched in 2006. You’re a starting pitcher and there’s a reason why you are a starting pitcher — you have plus-stuff, two secondary pitches, you’re better than just about everybody else in the bullpen. When I’m hearing talk radio and they’re wondering whether Aaron Boone should have taken Luis Severino out after the third inning and 62 pitches when he’s not only the ace of the Yankees, but one of the best pitchers in the league, just give me a break.
Q: Should starting pitching be the Yankees’ offseason priority?
A: Yes. They have a great young nucleus of players in the lineup between (Aaron) Judge, (Gary) Sanchez, (Giancarlo) Stanton and on and on. Severino, of course, is there and (Masahiro) Tanaka is an older guy. What do they do with (J.A.) Happ and (CC) Sabathia? They’re going to need some help in the rotation, no question.
Q: If you’re the Red Sox, how confident are you in Price?
A: David is stuck between the guy who he was when he was the No. 1 pick overall with Tampa Bay and could throw 98 miles per hour to the guy who has to pitch using his secondary stuff. So, like many pitchers, he’s at the mercy of whether or not he’s getting ahead. I don’t know which guy is going to show up against Houston.
Q: Can the Red Sox beat the Astros?
A: The Astros hands down are the least-flawed team that’s left. The only flaw last year was the bullpen and they went out and solidified a weakness. Roberto Osuna has been perfect, Ryan Pressly has been unbelievable with a great fastball, curveball.
Q: As a former starting pitcher, is it strange to watch these bullpen starts in the postseason?
A: Yes, conceivably we’re going to have a team (the Brewers) that could win the World Series with just one starter (Jhoulys Chacin) who really did a nice job during the season. They are in love with this bullpenning idea. I don’t like it. I don’t think it’s a good watch. I like the days of who’s pitching and you hear two marquee names. That was the beauty of the cat-and-mouse duel. The pitcher would throw a certain way in the first inning because he’s going to pitch slightly different in the fifth and the seventh. That was part of the nuance and an endearing thing to watch, guys who had that ability to use their different pitches to set up a guy for the next at-bat. You’re just not seeing it anymore. The mindset is empty the tank and if it’s only four innings that’s OK, we’ll get somebody else.