I don't think that the Yanks can afford two roster spots for "spot starters".

Typically, that role is filled by a guy who can make an ocasional start and pitch reliably in long/middle relief.

And it's important, I think, that players be comfortable with, and accepting of, their roles.

If Pavano and/or Wright have little or no use in long or middle relief, then, barring injuries, you're talking about something like 60-65 starts or so between Johnson & Mussina, and another 100 or so between the other five - Chacon, Wang, Pavano, Wright, and Small.

That leaves a bullpen of Villone, Farnsworth, Myers, Procter, Sturtze, and Rivera. I think they'd prefer a 7-man bullpen, with all 7 being proven, reliable relievers

That's 13 pitchers, with Dotel due back in mid-season, so if he can pitch, at least one, and possibly two, will have to go.

I think if everyone gets thru spring training relatively intact, they will be stuck with Johnson, Mussina, Wang, Chacon, and Pavano (in that order) as starters, with Small, Villone, Farnsworth, Myers, Wright, Sturtze, and Rivera in the pen.

That would leave them with 12 pitchers (and I'm sure they'd even prefer to go with 11 if they thought that they could get away with it), with Proctor as the odd man out for now.

What I predict will happen is that either Pavano or Wright will open the season on the DL while they look to unload one of them, and that if they had their druthers (or, if I were them, I'd want) their PS would look like this:

Johnson
Mussina
Wang
Chacon
Pavano or Wright (dumping one or the other)

Small
Villone
Farnsworth
Myers
Proctor
Sturtze
Rivera