Sean Henn has earned a roster spot over Ron Villone and Chris Britton after an impressive Spring Training. Henn beat the others out more by default than anything else. Britton and Villone were both terrible.
Britton will be sent to AAA so that he can work out his problems. He is a good reliever who just needs to get back onto the right track. In the long run, he will likely be a more viable roster option than Henn. The Yankees do not really need two lefties because Luis Vizcaino’s success against lefty hitters makes him a de facto lefty. Once he straightens himself out, he should find his way to the Bronx.
Villone had an abysmal finish to 2006. He had to prove that he was not finished in Spring Training. Ron did just the opposite, putting up a 14.40 ERA. Villone has had a nice career and is a good guy. He genuinely enjoyed being a Yankee. However, there was no justifiable excuse for putting him onto the team over a better and cheaper player.
Henn gets another chance in the Bronx. He was nothing short of terrible as a starter for the team in 2005, when injuries forced the team to rush him up and had a cup of coffee last year. Sean has a good fastball and pedestrian secondary stuff, suggesting that he is better suited as a reliever. His stuff was not his problem in 2005, though. He was afraid to put the ball over the plate. He walked too many hitters and got himself into counts where batters could tee off against him. If he has learned to trust his stuff, he should be pretty effective. If he still is afraid to put it near the plate, the Bronx will be a short detour on his trip to Scranton. Either way, he has earned this shot. As of now, he is the best option the team has.
