Yankees Have a Decision to Make: Which First-Round Series?

Once they clinch the best record in the American League -- and they have a 6 1/2-game lead on the Angels -- the Yankees' first big decision will not be how much to charge for playoff tickets but which American League Division Series they want.

As the No. 1 seed in the league that won the All-Star Game, the Yankees will have the option of playing in the only LDS with an off day between Games 1 and 2 or staying on the regular schedule (two games, off day, two games, off day, fifth game).

It's an intriguing dilemma, perhaps the only intrigue left for the Yankees between now and Oct. 7, when the playoffs actually begin.

Choosing the "eight-day" series allows the Yankees to use just three starting pitchers, all on regular rest. The pitcher in Game 1 on Oct. 7 can come back in Game 4 on Oct. 12, and Games 2 and 5 fall on Oct. 9 and 14.

The "seven-day" series requires four starters (assuming no one comes back on short rest). The Game 1 starter would be on four days' rest for a deciding Game 5.

It doesn't seem a cut-and-dried choice for the Yankees.

The expanded series would allow them to not use Joba Chamberlain in their ALDS rotation, which might be a good thing. In their effort to limit his innings workload this year, the Yankees have dialed him back this month. So he has yet to throw more than 59 pitches or three innings in his past three starts -- and in those three games he has a 6.00 ERA with 149 pitches thrown in nine innings.

So by the playoffs, will Chamberlain be (1) stretched out enough? and (2) effective?

But ...

The Yankees' likely first-round opponent is the Tigers (assuming Detroit holds on in the AL Central and Boston wins the wild card). And picking the expanded series means the Tigers, too, need just three starters.

That means not only facing ace Justin Verlander twice in a five-game series, but Edwin Jackson twice as well, and Jackson is fourth in the AL in ERA (3.10) and has a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this season.

And if Jackson would go in a Game 5, whom would he face? The Yankees could pitch Andy Pettitte in Game 2 -- after assumed No. 1 starter CC Sabathia -- to line Pettitte up for Game 5 instead of playoff virgin (and notoriously unreliable) A.J. Burnett. Then again, that would mean throwing lefties twice in a row twice and four times total, and Detroit is 23-17 against left-handed starters, the third-best mark in the AL.

Thus, choosing the eight-day series means having to win twice in games started by Verlander or Jackson.

So should the Yankees force the Tigers to use a fourth starter -- Rick Porcello or Jarrod Washburn, depending whom Detroit could choose as its No. 3 -- if it means they need to have Chamberlain ready?

The Yankees expect Chamberlain to be ready by then; if not, it would mean mean Sergio Mitre or Chad Gaudin in Game 4.

Beyond that, if the Yankees pick the series with the extra off day, what to do with Joba? Should he go to instructional league and pitch to stretch himself out for possible ALCS work? Or should he be in the bullpen for the Division Series?

The latter might help, considering one of the Yankees' key relievers, Dave Robertson, has an elbow issue. But it might prevent Chamberlain from building up his stamina enough to start in the ALCS, bringing us back to the Mitre/Gaudin conundrum.

The Yankees (and any other team in this situation) likely will make their decision based on what suits them best, rather than how it allows their opponents to line up their pitching. Even so, there's plenty to consider.

And now you see why the Yankees pay their manager and general manager so much.