It's that time again. That's right, folks, it's Let's Make A Bullpen!

The Yankees have many questions in the bullpen, but, given their talented stable of young pitchers, they should be able to find plenty of answers. Here is a round-up of many of the Yankees bullpen options, with my expert recommendations.

Mariano Rivera - This one should be obvious. However, Rivera is aging, and his performance declined last year. What was concerning about it was that, while his peripherals remained quite good, his BABIP was noticeably higher than in past years. Perhaps this was just a fluke, but Rivera has made a career out of using his cutter to control balls in play. If that cutter is becoming hittable, he could see serious problems this year. The Yankees re-signing Rivera to a $45 million contract remains a questionable investment.

Joba Chamberlain - Putting Chamberlain in the bullpen would be an absurd notion if it weren't for the need to limit his workload this year. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped foolish sportwriters and various talk show hosts from insisting that he would best be used there. Chamberlain has good control over three excellent pitches: his 100mph fastball that sits in the 96-97mph range when he starts, a devastating high-80s slider that hitters swung and missed on almost 75% of swings, and a very good curveball in the mid-to-high-70s that he can both bury or throw for strikes. He also throws an average but improving changeup. Recent reports indicate that he has added a 2-seam fastball to induce groundballs and, in turn, increase his effeciency, allowing him to pitch deeper into games. Chamberlain's future is as a starter, but expect to see him start the season as a potent weapon in relief.

Kyle Farnsworth - The Professor has frustrated many a Yankee fan in his tenure here, but he has shown dominant stuff at times in his career. He still throws very hard, but his strikeout rates declined last year, and his back issues prevent him from taking a heavy workload. Farnsworth should be given an opportunity to right himself, but don't expect new manager Joe Girardi to sit on his hands if Farnsworth continues to struggle. If he he comes out of the gate slowly, he could find himself on a very short leash.

Latroy Hawkins - Hawkins was signed to replace 2007 workhorse Luis Vizcaino, and, while no longer the force he used to be, should be able to serve up some solid innings in middle relief. Hawkins relies more on groundball outs than the high strikeout rates he used to display, but he may have enough guile to continue to steal outs for a few more years.

Ross Ohlendorf - Ohlendorf struggled mightily in AAA in 2007 as a starting pitcher, but his stuff improved dramatically once he was moved to the bullpen and the Yankees unleashed his 4-seam fastball. Ohlendorf regularly throws in the 96mph range now, and looks like he could evoke comparisons to the bullpen-assailing Jeff Nelson with his heat and slider combination. He should be given regular work in the bullpen this year.

Mark Melancon - Melancon had injury concerns that dropped him to the 9th round of the 2006 draft, and those concerns were well-founded, as he soon required Tommy John surgery. He appears to have recovered fully at this point, and his power curveball could be a valuable weapon coming out of the bullpen this year. Melancon has drawn comparisons to Oakland relief ace Huston Street, and, should he show that he is 100%, he could very well take Chamberlain's role in the bullpen as the latter transitions into the rotation.

Brian Bruney - Like Kyle Farnsworth, the portly and inconsistent Bruney has always had very good swing-and-miss stuff, but he has shown makeup issues that led to his release by the Diamondbacks (despite having options remaining) and possibly also to a dramatic downturn in performance in June of 2007. Also like Farnsworth, Bruney will likely never have even average control, but his talent could still allow him to be a quality middle-relief option for the Yankees this year.

Chris Britton - "Great Britton" failed to make an impression on former manager Joe Torre last year despite his minor and major-league success with the Orioles, largely due to a poor performance in Spring Training of 2007. He excelled in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he was forever tainted to Torre, who had probably never heard of him before that Spring and who probably never wanted to hear about him again. Britton throws a low-90s fastball that hitters tend to swing underneath, leading to a lot of flyball outs. Mediocre strikeout rates will probably prevent Britton from ever being a good late-inning option, but there is no reason that he cannot contribute to the major league team in a middle-relief role.

Jonathon Albaladejo - Another rotund right-hander, Albaladejo was acquired from the Washington Nationals for former out-magician Tyler Clippard. (Yes, scouting community, you were right and I was wrong.) Albaladejo has above-average groundball tendencies and above-average strikeout rates to go along with solid stuff and above-average control, so he is the best bet out of the three fatties to develop into a quality reliever. Brian Ca$hmoney seems to have acquired him for that purpose, so expect to see Albaladejo given a hefty workload this year.

Kei Igawa - One thing that the Yankees seem to be lacking is left-handed relievers, so this $52 million mistake may find himself in the bullpen this year. Unfortunately, he has yet to indicate that he can consistently get anyone out in any role, and I fear the idea of him getting any important innings.

Billy Traber - Traber was showing promise as a young starter in the Mets' system until elbow surgery sidelined him for the entire 2004 season. He has bounced around for a few years, and the Yankees signed him to a minor-league deal. Given his outstanding performance so far in camp, and the fact that he throws with his left hand, do not be surprised if Traber breaks camp with the major league club.

Sean Henn - Henn has been with the Yankees since 2001, but injuries have robbed the left-hander of much of his potential. Henn will turn 27 next month, and doesn't appear to have much development ahead of him, and he hasn't shown the kind of performance that indicates future success at the major league level. His fastball once touched 100mph, but he typically sits in the low 90s now. However, he is out of options, and it is likely that the Yankees would lose him if they were forced to pass him through waivers. The Yankees would probably be best served to bite the bullet and let Henn go, but they may keep him on the roster to give him one more chance to make it work before they quit on him.

Brisco's recommended bullpen: Rivera, Chamberlain, Ohlendorf, Albaladejo, Hawkins, Traber, and Farnsworth, with Melancon possibly replacing Chamberlain on the Chief's move to the rotation. Should Farnsworth find further failure, Bruney and Britton should be given the first opportunities to replace him.

Also watch for: Jose Veras, Alan Horne, Jeffrey Marquez, Daniel McCutcheon, Edwar Ramirez, Scott Patterson, David Robertson

Questions? Comments? Business opportunities? Drop me a line at peter.bard@gmail.com