N.Y. Post: Sherman: EXCLUSIVE: JOBA STARTS YEAR IN ‘PEN (RR)

The Post and the Yankees crack me up.

Joba Chamberlain will prepare during spring training as a starter, but will begin the season in the Yankee bullpen barring injury to any of the other five main rotation members, team officials confirmed to The Post.

It had been speculated throughout the offseason that Chamberlain could open in the ‘pen as a way to restrain his innings from going beyond the approximately 140 the organization wants to limit him to in 2008. The YanksNew York Yankees believe that at Chamberlain’s age (22), he should not be asked to exceed his innings total of last year (112.1) by much more than 30 innings, or else he would be put at a greater likelihood for an arm injury.

But these new Joba Rules are not only about protecting Chamberlain’s precious arm. The Yanks also want to use April and May as an audition for his successor. The idea would be to have a slate of young relievers work in the less pressurized sixth and seventh innings. The organizational hope is that someone from a group that could include Alan Horne, Jose VerasJose Veras , Edwar Ramirez and Ross Ohlendorf emerges in reliability and can graduate to the eighth-inning role when Chamberlain is transitioned back to the rotation.