“Anything can happen, so you don’t rule anything out,” pitching coach Dave Eiland said in a telephone interview. “But we’re going into it right now with Joba as a starter. We’re going to see where that takes us.” (Source)

Here is what I would do:

Prepare him in Spring Training as a starter until the last week or so of camp and put him in the bullpen to start the season. This gives him his first big league camp and will help limit his innings.

This method ensures that Joba will have gas in the tank when we get around to October. A playoff rotation of Andy-Wang-Phil-Joba would be the best we’ve had since ‘03.

It also means that this bullpen will be stabalized in the early goings. And by the time he has to go to the rotation, there will be guys in the Horne-Melancon-Sanchez-Cox group that will be ready to take his place if guys like Edwar-Britton-Albaledejo-Ohlendorf-Veras-Bruney haven’t already done so.

Delusional idea: Remember that crazy hot start Mike Mussina got off to in ‘06? Through his first 94.2 IP (12 starts, none of which he went less than 6 IP), Moose had a 2.76 ERA with 86 K and 16 BB. Keeping Joba in the pen allows that to possibly happen again. I can’t say it with a straight face. I’d tried, but I can’t do it.