The Yankees are going to have a really solid bullpen in 2012. The bullpen will also include the guys that lose out in the starting rotation for the #5 spot. The competition is between righties Freddy Garcia, A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes. Here is a look at the how the bullpen stands as of right now:

The Closer: Mariano Rivera: 42-year old righty Mariano Rivera is the best closer in the history of baseball and he is defying his age. He pitched in 64 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last year and he was 1-2 with 44 saves, a 1.91 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. Rivera has now pitched in 1,042 games (0 starts) in his first 17 years in the majors and he is 75-57 with 603 saves, 2.21 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. Rivera is major league baseball’s all-time leader in saves and I fully expect him to add 35-40 more of them to his total in 2012.

The Set-Up Man: David Robertson: 26-year old righty David Robertson was almost unhittable last year as he really stepped up big time. He pitched in 70 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last year and he was 4-0 with 1 save, a 1.08 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Robertson has now pitched in 204 games (0 starts) in his first four years with the Yankees and he is 14-6 with 3 saves, a 3.03 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Look for Robertson to have another outstanding year for the Yankees in 2012.

The Righties: Rafael Soriano: 32-year old righty Rafael Soriano was signed to be the set-up man for the Yankees, but he was a bust last year due to injuries and ineffectiveness. He pitched in 42 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last year and he was 2-3 with 2 saves, a 4.12 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Soriano has now pitched in 384 games (8 starts) in his first 10 years in the majors and he is 13-23 with 90 saves, a 2.86 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. I have a feeling that Soriano is going to bounce back somewhat in 2012.

Cory Wade: 28-year old righty Cory Wade started last year in AAA-ball with the Rays, and he was pitching good for them. But he jumped when the Yankees called him and he got out of his minor league deal with the Rays. Wade pitched in 40 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last year and he was 6-1 with a 2.04 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He has now pitched in 122 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 10-5 with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.

Joba Chamberlain: 26-year old righty Joba Chamberlain underwent Tommy John Surgery last June. Often pitchers throw a lot harder after having this procedure, so Chamberlain might be throwing 100 mph when he returns to action, likely somewhere around the middle of the 2012 season. He pitched in 27 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last year and he was 2-0 with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He has now pitched in 193 games (43 starts) in his first five years with the Yankees and he is 20-13 with 4 saves, a 3.70 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.

The Lefties: Boone Logan: 27-year old Boone Logan has pitched pretty well for the Yankees the last couple of years. He pitched in 64 games (0 starts) for the Yankees last year and he was 5-3 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Logan has now pitched in 115 games (0 starts) in his first two years with the Yankees and he is 7-3 with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He has now pitched in 279 games (0 starts) in his first six years in the majors and he is 12-8 with 1 save, a 4.77 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. I look for him to have another decent year in 2012 as he seems to have found a home with the Yankees.

Hideki Okajima: 36-year old Hideki Okajima has been an enemy of the Yankees the last five years as he pitched with the Red Sox. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal after he was essentially kicked to the curb by his old team. Okajima pitched in 7 games (0 starts) for the Red Sox last year and he was 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. He has now pitched in 261 games (0 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 17-8 with 6 saves, a 3.11 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2012: A