Starting Pitching is Overvalued
Which doesn t mean it is not valuable. It s just not worth the price. I can relate. I drive a 2013 Ford F-150 XLT Supercab. I could have bought the Platinum Series but it was $22,000 more and I thought that was overvalued, so I just drive the standard model. Well it does have the twin-turbo 375 HP engine, so there is that. But, it doesn t have butt warmers and leather
Which doesn’t mean it is not valuable. It’s just not worth the price. I can relate. I drive a 2013 Ford F-150 XLT Supercab. I could have bought the Platinum Series but it was $22,000 more and I thought that was overvalued, so I just drive the standard model. Well it does have the twin-turbo 375 HP engine, so there is that. But, it doesn’t have butt warmers and leather seats. I think about a new Denali XL, but at $80K, I think it is overvalued. My truck has 78,000 miles and is paid for. I love having no payments. However, I digress – I am prone to that.
Andrew Friedman has steadfastly refused to sign long-term deals with starting pitchers for more than $48 million dollars (because it’s really dumb, that’s why), so that he can grow the pitching from within. A lot of people have bitched about it, but NO ONE HAS PRESENTED A BETTER WAY. All they do is bitch. It’s time to stop. I am tired of the bitching. Present me a better way and I am all in, but insofar as I can tell, this is the best way to build the farm while building for a World Series… THIS YEAR!
And quit talking about Cotton, Montas and Holmes being traded to the A’s. They would not have helped this year. Montas has a 4.22 ERA and Cotton is at 4.76, while Holmes has a 8.10 ERA at AA. Rich Hill will get over his blister – then you will have a different perspective!
The Dodgers starting rotation is in flux. Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball – that’s all you need to know. Julio Urias is coming this week and he will be pretty damn good. Kenta Maeda has some big issues. Ryu looks like he could go either way and Rich Hill has a blister – a Freakin Blister… not Tommy John! It’s a freaking blister – it will get figured out. Who is the other pitcher? Oh, it’s that old worn out, no good, what-a-bad-signing Brandon McCarthy. You know, the guys some wanted to DFA before the season.
Look at these six starters and their stats as well as their salaries:
|
Pitcher |
Innings | Hits | BB | K | W/L | ERA | WHIP |
Salary |
|
A |
28.1 | 19 | 2 | 32 | 3-1 | 2.54 | 0.74 |
$34 Mil |
|
B |
23.2 | 23 | 7 | 21 | 0-0 | 2.66 | 1.23 |
$25 Mil |
|
C |
24.2 | 24 | 6 | 20 | 1-2 | 3.28 | 1.22 |
$34 Mil |
|
D |
28.0 | 28 | 7 | 29 | 2-0 | 2.89 | 1.04 |
$18.3 Mil |
|
E |
26.0 | 18 | 9 | 14 | 1-0 | 2.77 | 1.04 |
$23.5 Mil |
|
F |
24.0 | 18 | 8 | 22 | 3-0 | 2.25 | 1.08 |
$11.5 Mil |
All of the pitchers on the above board are pretty dang good. In fact, all except one are aces. That one who only makes $11.5 million is Brandon McCarthy (Pitcher F). Here are the rest:
- Pitcher A = Clayton Kershaw
- Pitcher B = Jon Lester
- Pitcher C = Zack Greinke
- Pitcher D = Stephen Strasburg
- Pitcher E = Cole Hamels
McCarthy is pitching like a #2… or better. Can he keep it up. Yes! He has the stuff. Will he? I have no clue, but I like what I am seeing. Then there is that “depth” which some see and some don’t. I have no expectations from Kazmir. I do not expect him back, but then we have Brock Stewart who is getting healthy after a bout with tendonitis, as well as Stripling and Wood, whom I would rather have in the bullpen. On top of that there is Jair Jurrjens, Justin Masterson and Trevor Oaks at OKC. You could see one of them THIS week as well. Masterson is scheduled to start tonight for OKC – if he doesn’t you know what’s up.
The Dodgers will likely ride with Maeda for one more start – he is either hurt or has developed some bad mechanical problem… or both. His ERA is over 8.00 and they can’t let this keep happening. Ryu is set to go today. We should get a better handle on how he is doing as he gains against the Giants in SF. Kershaw pitches Tuesday and Alex Wood is scheduled for Wednesday. If it were me, I would start Urias on Thursday. He last pitched on Friday, so Thursday would be his normal day, but I would leave Wood in the pen where he seems much more effective. That means that someone has to pitch Wednesday. Who will that be.
Bellinger and Verdugo continue to rake. Look for one or both at a Ravine near you soon.
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Discussion (107)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Even though I’m as frustrated with Rich Hill and his blister-plague as everybody else, still gonna go out on a limb and say someone is going to figure out how to keep it properly healed. Then look out, the damn guy is just nails and flat out filthy when he is on and healthy. Would YOU want to face him in the play-off? Hey, I know he’s old, but he is a young-old, not alot of miles on that arm. Let’s not bury the guy yet, or we might be asking for some ketchup with our crow come September.
Also, gotta love Fox Sports, they just put out an article about the D-bags and Rock show taking over the NL West. Already kicking the Dodger Dog to the curb. I’m feeling kind of sparky because it seemed like we totally got our asses kicked in AZ over the weekend, yet we still only lost 2 of 3 and showed a pulse yesterday. Besides the butt load of problems everyone(including myself sometimes)keeps talking about that we have, figure this: The D-Bags and Rockies are playing lights out right now, we are still in transition, trying to figure some things out, and yet we are only 4 games out. 4 GAMES OUT! We can make that up in a week or less. And we will, The D-bag manager said the one thing he fears the most is injuries to his pitching or bullpen. Also, the Rockies now have 3 rookies in their starting rotation because of injuries this coming weekend if my info is correct. It’s already starting, the war of attrition, which we will win every time. Now, enough of this crap, on to Bagdad by the Bay tonight! (Still killin’ me Dodgerrick, that was classic)
I am a Doctor, well… a Water Doctor! 😉
–
In retrospect, if Rich Hill indeed rested all winter to let his blister heal, that may have been a mistake. I can see him back at the end of the 10 days and pitching 2 or 3 innings a couple times a week to build a callous. Maybe a gradual stretching out. Hindsight? 20/20. Who knew?
I checked in on some old friends today:
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Jose De Leon still has not pitched.
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Jose Peraza – .217 with a .256 OB%
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Scott Schebler – .175 with a .257 OB%
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Zach Lee – 5.63 ERA
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I envisioned better!
Put Puig in the 2 hole and move everyone else down one spot. Agon clogs the bases in front of Puig, even though Yasiel has not been getting on base much lately. Eibner may be just keeping the seat warm for Gutierrez. I predict that Cain will get hit hard tonight and Ryu pitches a good game. Puig and Grandal are about to get hot.
Test
Does Puig have the best arm in baseball, and the most acurate
A couple of early observations:
Ryu’s pitches aren’t crisp. Fastball doesn’t move much unless he elevates it. Hasn’t shown the curve much. Hitting 90 on the gun, but not much there.
–
Dodgers letting a lot of hittable pitches from Cain go by. Lolllypop curve, nothing fastball, some right down the middle. Plate discipline doesn’t mean letting everything go by – they should hit the hittable pitches.
–
Giants have brought up one of their top prospects, Arroyo, to play 3b due to injury and struggling offense. maybe the Dodgers should do likewise?
Dang, the Giants have that great starting staff which has the worst ERA in all of baseball – 5.02! Ouch!
Justin Masterson just pitched 7 shutout innings as OKC won 3-0. He allowed just 1 hit.
–
Move him to the head of the class!
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Rios went 5-5 and now is hitting .364 for Tulsa.
Can we puleeeezzzee get a few hits and score a damn run! It’s Matt friggin Cain, not a right handed Sandy Koufax! We should have pounded this guy by now.
Ryu has stopped throwing his slider. Big curve, lots of changeups. Giant’s broadcasters said that their scouts say his fastball isn’t the same; they also estimated that he threw 65% changeups tonight.
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Cain hurt
I think Ryu pitched very well tonight – 6 IP, 1 Run.
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McCarthy pitched 7 yesterday.
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Kershaw almost always goes 7.
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3 out of 5 starters are pitching meaningful innings.
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Things are improving.
OK, we’ve got them right where we want them!
Giants’ pen still a problem for them
Disappointing loss there.
1 run against Cain won’t cut it.
Home plate umpire not helping in the 9th.
Ps
Romo ain’t all that anymore.