2016 Starting Rotation

[User Name]

Kelly isn't a #2 or top starter.

 

He has top-of-the-rotation stuff, but he has sequencing and health issues. The upside's there, but the track record is not.

[jung]

Kelly isn't a #2 or top starter.

 

Correct...Kelly is not a 2 and he would have to show much more consistency over a season to even start to tickle a 2. This pitching thing is becoming a real concern and it already was one. Elias is getting pounded all over the place AGAIN....giving up 3 HR and 6 runs in 2/3 of an inning. I am sure we will claim he was just a throw in and we didn't need him anyway. But it is getting down to we need everybody AGAIN as there is nobody pitching for this team right now besides the aforementioned Kelly and Price and the new closer.

 

On another topic and am really now getting tired of seeing Farrell do anything. His mound walk is my new irritation. Trudge.....trudge....trudge....two claps as he starts up the hill to take the ball...I guess his version of the "you suck kid but you'll do better next time pep talk". I am not going to miss him when he is gone either.

[mvp 78]

He has top-of-the-rotation stuff, but he has sequencing and health issues. The upside's there, but the track record is not.

 

The track record is more indicative of future performance than hypothetical upside.

[a700hitter]

Is any of what I said untrue? No. Stick to the point of the argument.

The possibility that we will have so much good pitching that we will not know what to do with all of it is such a remote possibility as to be laughable . And you said that Roster Crunch doesn't concern you. So, who is concerned about it? Who are these people whose minds you presume to be able to read? Edited March 27, 2016 by a700hitter

[Kimmi]

Kelly isn't a #2 or top starter.

 

I said that he has a long way to go before he establishes himself as a #2. But he is currently pitching like one. While he is pitching like a #2, no one will want to take him out of the rotation for a lesser pitcher.

[cp176]

We don't have the luxury right now of making what looks like a really good move - move Kelly to the bullpen. Our starting pitching although upgraded with Price is still just a major question mark. Thankfully it doesn't look like Rodriguez is going to miss much. Anyone who has any confidence in Buchholz, Kelly, Wright, Porcello, Elias and whoever else you want to throw in the mixing bowl, is living in a pretty good world. With a healthy E-Rod and Price at the top and something that resembles a contribution over a significant period of time and we still might be ok. Reality just says there are still a lot of ifs and buts here.

[jung]

Even a healthy Eddie at this point is a question mark as he simply has not shown the ability to too often be able to throw all three of his pitches in the same stint.

 

i read a piece recently that seemed to be taking the position that Eddie is simply not smart enough to realize that he needs to throw his slider more often. Nobody knows better than the pitcher himself what he can rely upon on any given day and I can assure you that Eddie knows better than the author of that piece or any of us that he needs all three pitches in a given stint to truly succeed. He has simply not been able to do it yet...possibly delayed by trying to fully grasp and then corral this tipping problem that he has.

 

I truly believe that day will come for Eddie. But none of can even guess if this will be the year or not.

 

If we had to guess today what the prospects were for this starting rotation it would have to be Price and pray for rain which is still better than the O's who are stuck with pray for rain every day.

Edited March 27, 2016 by jung

[mvp 78]

I said that he has a long way to go before he establishes himself as a #2. But he is currently pitching like one. While he is pitching like a #2, no one will want to take him out of the rotation for a lesser pitcher.

 

So does ST matter or not? Don't say Shaw shouldn't start when he's killing it in ST, but prop up Kelly for pitching ok in ST.

 

He has a history of only pitching well for parts of a season. He hasn't put it together before. We can't be sure he'll do so now.

 

Until he actually pitches like a #2, the argument is silly imo.

[mvp 78]

And down the stretch last year, Kelly pitched like an adequate 3, not a #2.

[Bellhorn04]

We don't have the luxury right now of making what looks like a really good move - move Kelly to the bullpen. Our starting pitching although upgraded with Price is still just a major question mark. Thankfully it doesn't look like Rodriguez is going to miss much. Anyone who has any confidence in Buchholz, Kelly, Wright, Porcello, Elias and whoever else you want to throw in the mixing bowl, is living in a pretty good world. With a healthy E-Rod and Price at the top and something that resembles a contribution over a significant period of time and we still might be ok. Reality just says there are still a lot of ifs and buts here.

 

I agree - our bullpen is much stronger on paper than our rotation, so we have to give Kelly another shot as a starter.

[mvp 78]

Clearly he's going to get another shot since Erod is out and they didn't grab another starter in the offseason.

[a700hitter]

We have no choice but for Kelly to start the season in the rotation, and if he performs like he did in the first half of 2015, we will be in big trouble. We need him to pitch like the second half of 2015. That is more of a necessity than a luxury.

[cp176]

I agree - our bullpen is much stronger on paper than our rotation, so we have to give Kelly another shot as a starter.

 

If the landscape was a little different - Bucholtz was tough mentally and healthy

Kelly had reached some sort of turning point health wise

Porcello performed like the solid number 3 and even the number 2 some thought he might -

 

I think that everything would just look fantastic. Even with all of that, my guess is that E-Rod would still be no lower than right behind Buchholz in the rotation. Our dreams have been rapped by this illustrious group so we need to be reality based.

 

Price - Rodriguez(I'd bet on him) - everybody else and a big dose of "c'mon boys"

 

Rodriguez's days in the minors are behind him!

[jung]

i think Wright just won the job which could be a good thing if my musings about this strike zone stuff are anywhere near something worth considering. The knuckle has a lotta' swing and miss potential which could go a long way to mitigating this strike zone stuff.

[User Name]

The strike zone adjustment isn't as drastic as you're making it out to be. Why do you have to massively exxagerate every single little issue?

[Elktonnick]

i think Wright just won the job which could be a good thing if my musings about this strike zone stuff are anywhere near something worth considering. The knuckle has a lotta' swing and miss potential which could go a long way to mitigating this strike zone stuff.

 

I love the knuckleball. I agree I think Wright may have won the job today. The only downside to todays performance is the Phillies aren't a very good team and they weren't playing their best lineup

[Kimmi]

So does ST matter or not? Don't say Shaw shouldn't start when he's killing it in ST, but prop up Kelly for pitching ok in ST.

 

He has a history of only pitching well for parts of a season. He hasn't put it together before. We can't be sure he'll do so now.

 

Until he actually pitches like a #2, the argument is silly imo.

 

I'd have no problem stashing Kelly in AAA if it meant adding another quality starter.

 

Everyone else here would have a problem with it, IF Kelly is pitching as well as he has been. That's all I'm saying.

[Kimmi]

I love the knuckleball. I agree I think Wright may have won the job today. The only downside to todays performance is the Phillies aren't a very good team and they weren't playing their best lineup

 

Wright had already more or less won the job. His performance today just added more clarification to it.

 

Elias has not only worked his way out of the rotation, but he might have worked his way out of the BP and off of the Opening Day roster altogether.

[mvp 78]

I'd have no problem stashing Kelly in AAA if it meant adding another quality starter.

 

Everyone else here would have a problem with it, IF Kelly is pitching as well as he has been. That's all I'm saying.

 

My thoughts about this team and about posters on this board are mutually exclusive. If DUMBrowski makes a smart move that this board frowns upon, it won't affect how I feel about it.

[Kimmi]

My thoughts about this team and about posters on this board are mutually exclusive. If DUMBrowski makes a smart move that this board frowns upon, it won't affect how I feel about it.

 

That's fine. I'm just saying that the 25 man and 40 man roster have to be taken into consideration before signing a player. No move is made in a vacuum.

[a700hitter]

That's fine. I'm just saying that the 25 man and 40 man roster have to be taken into consideration before signing a player. No move is made in a vacuum.

But don't speak for others.

[Kimmi]

But don't speak for others.

 

I'm not speaking for others. Others have said again and again that you play the best players, period, with no regard to contracts or options.

 

So sure, go ahead and trade Panda for Shields. Just don't complain when Shields gets a rotation spot over Rodriguez or Kelly.

[iortiz]

Panda for Shields? if I were SD I wouldn't trade Shields for Panda by any means.

[User Name]

If the Sox got Shields, Kelly would go to the BP, and that's likely the best long-term outcome for both he and the team.

[Dojji]

I would love to pick up James Shields, but I'm not in favor of parting with minor league assets of any quality for him, and the Padres are in a position to ask for a return in talent.

[mvp 78]

Panda for Shields? if I were SD I wouldn't trade Shields for Panda by any means.

 

Source says Sox don't savor sucky Shields.

 

Padres FO not putrid enough to ponder Panda.

[mvp 78]

If the Sox got Shields, Kelly would go to the BP, and that's likely the best long-term outcome for both he and the team.

 

But what about the 40 man roster implications?

[a700hitter]

I'm not speaking for others. Others have said again and again that you play the best players, period, with no regard to contracts or options.

 

So sure, go ahead and trade Panda for Shields. Just don't complain when Shields gets a rotation spot over Rodriguez or Kelly.

The second part of your post is speaking for others.

[jung]

If the Sox were out there roosting around for pitching talent there is not a team in baseball that would not try to clip us for some prospects. This is a bad time of year to be trying to play that game. Even SD will not simply suck Pablo out of here just because we would prefer to take our chances on Shields. So I don't see that one about a zillion fronts.

 

Malcontent Sale looking to hook up with a team that will renegotiate his deal probably has more of a chance than Shields to Boston and I don't think there is much chance of a Sale deal either.

[User Name]

Lol no. Sale isn't going anywhere, the Padres are actively shopping Shields. If the Sox ate the whole contract, they could probably get him for a palatable package.