Really? That was all people talked about since NY signed him, "he needs to develop a changeup" and his FB had tons of movement all spring training until that last disastrous start.
I just think it's funny that people seem so sure about what they think happened, when there's very little actual evidence to go on. To me, it seems pretty clear that he was perfectly healthy when NY traded for him, he came to camp out of shape expecting to pitch himself into shape, he spent most of training camp working on his offspeed stuff because that is what everyone told him he needed to do, he figured his fastball would be there when he needed it, and he hurt himself in or just before that last start trying to ramp up the velocity. But I'm well aware that all of that could be wrong.
And I don't buy the reduced velocity in 2011 still, I think it's at least as likely that he was trying to mimic Verlander's very successful approach, break out the big fastball if and when you need it and often in the later innings, not all game long.
Anyway, the bottom line is that he's hurt now, and today we will hopefully learn more specifics.
We're agreeing more than we are disagreeing, JA. He did show up physically and probably mentally complacent, and that led to a mediocre spring.
As to his actual approach as a pitcher that doesn't concern his coming in behind schedule in ST and at the risk of one more hair-split:
I didn't follow hot stove or ST this year so have no idea if the Yankees expected Pineda to be in the 2012 rotation, or if he did in fact have to perform in ST make the team. But "he needs to develop a changeup" is how you talk about a nascent developing minor leaguer that *projects* to show promise, or maybe a one-pitch pony in the bullpen with good stuff that you want to convert to starter.
My comps to the Brandons differ. Their mantra wasn't that "they needed changeups," but "they needed to pitch to contact and reduce their fly balls and/or their pitch counts." James Shields comes to mind last year too as someone who did this.
I guess it's a picture-straighteningly slight distinction, but "Pineda should stop pumping fastballs and learn to pitch" is a different objective than that of the the two/three more established pitchers I mentioned.
And Verlander might have learned a "dial-it-down vs. dig deep to get it" fastball approach, but your speculation is as anecdotal as mine likely is - i.e. how much of Verlander's approach has to do with his specific career trajectory and his physical gifts? Maybe the Verlander Method is unique and achievable only by Verlander.
But as Terry said, the bottom line is still the same, and the trade is still terrific. [It must be, I'm still furious that the NYY signed him]. They got a live and talented arm in Pineda - young and cost controlled. He may not be the ace in 2012, his value still is high over the length of NYY's commitment - softening the blow for the rest of the aging NYY rotation going forward. And heaven forbid if there is arm trouble, but he's on the right side of age to recover, rehab, and still perform well in theory.