Well, it’s official. Carl Pavano will start Saturday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Last season’s opening day starter will make his first major league start since undergoing Tommy John surgery last spring.

Pavano was informed by GM Brian Cashman via a phone call Thursday afternoon of his opportunity, and Pavano’s agent, Thomas O’Connell, was excited for his player. “Obviously, he’s very excited to be back in the big leagues and to pitch for the club,” O’Connell said. “His plan and his focus was to make it back this year and, obviously, he worked extremely hard to put himself in this position.”

Make no mistake about it. Pavano is using the last 30 games of the 2008 season to prove he can still pitch in the major leagues, while hopeful to sign a new free agent contract in the off season. The Yankees are looking for a spark to help them reach the playoffs for a record 14th straight year.

But, with another west coast road trip looming, the Yankees are done in 2008 and should use the next couple turns in the rotation to let Pavano show the other teams he is healed from the surgery - then get him out of the rotation.

Sit him on the bench catching splinters. Then collect at least one draft pick from Pavano’s new team.

For the future well being of the Yankees, it is more important for Phil Hughes to pitch in the majors during September than for Pavano to make his starts. Hughes will be with the team for the next several years and needs the experience. Pavano will probably be in St. Louis or on the West Coast.

The fact that Brian Cashman informed Pavano of Saturday’s start shows that Joe Girardi has no control whatsoever in regards to who he has on the team and who should play.

Those days of managers dictating what type of team they want is long gone. It is not out of the question that Cashman tells Girardi when to take out pitchers and when to put aging players in center field.