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Now there's Billy Traber, a former Nationals and Indians pitcher who could provide Joe Girardi with a lefty specialist that predecessor Joe Torre lacked. Since Stanton was run out of town in 2002 -- word has it he had 15 minutes to decide on the Yankees' offer -- the Yankees have trucked out the following guys, in no particular order:

C.J. Nitkowski
Felix Heredia
Randy Choate
Gabe White
Mike Myers
Matt Smith
Wayne Franklin
Buddy Groom
Alan Embree
Ron Villone
Sean Henn
Jesse Orosco
Mike Stanton II
Clay Bellinger's grandmother

Not too many big names on that list. Orosco was, but he was 46 years young when he pitched with the Yankees. Heredia was unforgettably christened the Run Fairy by The Hardball Times. Myers performed worse against lefties than he did against righties, but Torre, in the equivalent of grabbing players' heads and slamming them against the wall, kept leaving him in to face the likes of David Ortiz.

Groom, whose real name is Wedsel Gary Groom Jr., had an ERA of 4.91 during a 25-inning stint in 2005. Henn failed as a starter in 2005 and had a chance last season to serve as a lefty specialist but didn't impress. Embree picked his time with the Yankees to put up some of the worst numbers of his career.

Villone wasn't a true lefty specialist but still got used as one. Choate's main Yankees tenure came as a last-resort guy before Stanton I left, but he did stay with the team in 2003 before moving on to greener pastures, if the 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks can be called that. Stanton II was a shadow of his former self. He did do that thing where he held the ball between his stretched-out index and middle fingers.

White earned the distinction as a forgettable Yankees reliever. He appeared in 12 games in 2003 and didn't dazzle anyone with his brilliance. Then he put up an 8.27 ERA during the first part of 2004. Franklin's moment in the spotlight came when he gave up a bomb against Texas in 2005. After that, Torre would never come near using him in a close game again.

And who is Smith? The Yankees hardly knew him. Brian Cashman used the 2000 fourth-round pick as part of the package that brought Bobby Abreu to the team. He was not missed.

Besides Smith, Nitkowski has made the biggest contribution by going to Japan, continuing his blog and, from all accounts, having a blast. While Stateside, however, he didn't help the Yankees win too many ballgames.

So that brings Traber to the forefront. He is competing with Henn for the lefty role in the bullpen, and even though Henn is out of options, Traber appears to have the inside track for the spot. The Yankees recently purchased his contract and put him on the 40-man roster. He's had a great spring, and Girardi has said nice things about him. The last two facts should be taken with a grain of salt.

Last season, lefties recorded a .214 on-base percentage against Traber in 56 plate appearances. They slugged only .353. In 2006, when Traber made eight starts, lefties got on base at a .390 clip in 46 plate appearances. Righties mauled him in each season. In short, if he's going to help a Major League team, he will do so as what Baseball Prospectus calls a LOOGY or Lefty One Out Guy. He was a starter when he was younger, so could have to adjust to this role. Maybe the $80 per night or so he stands to get in meal money will help him feel better.

He's no lock for success. Henn, a hard-throwing lefty, probably won't pass through waivers if the Yankees try to sneak him to Triple-A. But Henn also hasn't shown anything dramatic -- except the remarkable ability to walk the 2005 Devil Rays -- during his Yankees tenure, so at some point the team will have to cut bait and watch a left-hander walk out the door. They have plenty of experience with that.