Yes, Folks, It's Come to This: Carl Pavano Starts for the Yankees on Saturday

The rumor surfaced earlier this week and today his agent officially confirmed the news: Carl Pavano will start for the Yankees on Saturday.

Wait, let me re-phrase that: barring any unforeseen circumstances (a car accident, a falling piano, a stubbed toe ...), Carl Pavano is scheduled to start for the Yankees on Saturday. Don't laugh, you can't take anything for granted with Pavano, especially considering he missed a bullpen session earlier this week due to stiffness in his elbow.

The Yankees have been backed into this dark, scary corner thanks to multitudes of injuries as well as Phil Hughes' continued insistence to underwhelm everything with a pulse (but don't worry! Phil has glasses now!). But hey, what do the Yankees have to lose? I mean, besides that 13-year streak of making playoffs ...

That said, perhaps we're being too critical of Pavano, who's notoriously made just 19 starts since signing that big, fat $39.95 million contract before 2005 season. As WasWatching points out, 19 starts is nothing to sneeze at: only seven other pitchers have more starts for the Yankees in that same span. Everybody can't be as durable as Shawn Chacon, you know.