He said depth, not our #1/2 slot SP'er.
Last season, we started the year with Whitlock, Paxton, Bello, Joely & MIlls on the IL. Kelly joined them.
Let's say this was our all healthy 13 in 2023, on opening day, and the depth:
13:
Kluber, Sale, Paxton, Bello, Pivetta
Jansen, Martin, Whitlock, Houck, Crawford, Schreiber, Bleier, Brasier
Depth (as seen on opening day):
Winckowski, Joely, Ort, Murphy, Walter, Jacques, Llovera, Garza, Sherriff
(Bernardino, Weiss, Dermody, Bearclaw, Robertson & otherswere added mid season)
That is awful pitching depth.
This year's "all healthy" 13:
Giolito, Bello, Pivetta, Crawford, Houck
Jansen, Martin, Whitlock, Winckowski, Bernardino, Hendriks, Slaten (Rule 5 limited), Mata (out of options)
Depth:
Murphy, Criswell, Fitts, Walter, Gambrell (Wikelman?)
Campbell, Weissert, Joely, Kelly, Luetge, Guerrero, Hagenman, Politi, German, Song, Jacques, Booser
This may not look grat, but it looks like a significant improvement over last year.