McClung to rotation, Villanueva to the bullpen

[trwi7]

This is probably going to be a start for Villanueva anyways when McClung lasts three innings and walks about a million.

[fallingleaves]

I think Villy should be given a shot at closing. I think he could do it.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

If he can prove that he can get guys out in the Pen, then I have no problem with giving him a shot, although Torres probably has first priority due to experience.

[giffted1]

I don't mind giving McClung a start here. I'm not expecting him to do well, but it'll serve as a sort of kick in the butt to Villanueva.

 

Maybe we'll catch a break and Seth will finally figure it out in the rotation...but I highly doubt it.

[jeffy]

Considering how Villaneuva's poor results so far, I think it is fine to give someone else a shot. McClung has not been bad since he made that recent "adjustment", so why not.

[Tbadder]

Again, I don't mind this if the use Villy correctly, which I think is the 3 inning save. Last night's game was a perfect example, let him have the 7th, 8th, and 9th and save the bullpen. I just don't like trotting out 3 and 4 relievers every night.

[JohnBriggs12]

It's a little unfair to suggest Villanueva's been "killing this team" as one poster suggest. He's one of many who have underperformed. He had quality starts in 3 of his last 6 starts, one of which was just last week, then he gets drilled by the World Champs (who do that to a lot of pitchers in Fenway), thanks in part to Fielder dropping an easy throw to start an inning.

 

But they want to see what McClung can do as a starter and that means moving somebody out, and basically Bush was marginally better in his last start so it's Villanueva that loses out.

 

I think we'll see a lot of changes over the course of this season. Personally, I think Villanueva if given time would post decent numbers and be a quality starter. Had Gallardo stayed healthy, it would have taken a lot pressure off the other guys too. We'll see what McClung does.

[Fatter than Joey]

McClung has done ok in his current role, I guess...his 31 innings in Milwaukee at 115ish ERA+ is better than I ever expected. I don't have a lot of optimism about him as a starter though....I'd think you'd keep him in the one role where he's had anything like major league success in the hopes that he can become a valuable reliever.

 

I agree with this -- This situation reminds me of Rick Helling -- which isn't good.

 

If this start is a one-time deal to deal with a double header, then so be it, otherwise I am not a big fan.

[BrewCrewForever]

Honestly I think Seth deserves the opportunity. I don't know how well he will do, but after his first two outings early in the year he has been darn good. Villa has not pitched well so I say give The Big Red Head a chance and see what he can do, if he falters you bring Villa in and then next time around you decide if you want to go back to Villa or bring up Weaver.

[JJHardy7]

The thing i don't care for is that McClung has been fairly effective in the role he's been in and barring a surprise by him doing well starting, the bullpen role is probably the best fit considering his abilities.

 

Agreed. I don't like moving McClung into a starter role. He's doing fine in his current role and I would just as well leave him there and see how he performs in the next month or so to see if he's the pitcher he's been with the Brewers or if he's still the pitcher that got rocked when he was on the Rays. I thought it'd be Weaver or DiFelice.

 

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that moving McClung into a starting role could potentially hurt the bullpen -- one of the exact problems some of the Brewers starters have had this year (not getting deep into games). Let's say even if McClung does do well Yost is quoted as saying he's going to have a 75 pitch limit the first start and then go up from there. This doesn't seem like it's a move that's going to help the bullpen or the rotation for that matter.

[Thurston Fluff]

I'd guess the first game would be more or less a piggy back senario with the 75 pitch limit. Villy and DiFelice are both capable of going long and even

Jackson is stretched out enough to absorb the rest of the game if necessary. I wouldn't be surpirsed if they informed one of them ahead of time they'd be in the game after McClung just so they are prepared. I guess I'd rather they try McClung than do nothing and hope things turn around. If it fails no harm since it was bad already. If it work they solve one problem and the hole left in the pen is easier to fill than a starter spot is. It seems like a low risk high reward sort of move.

[endaround]

I see it as a high risk low reward move. McClung throws 4 innings while waling 3 and King 4 and allowing 2 runs to score. Well its a success! Then we'll be stuck with McClung for another 3 starts where he turns out to be the same pitcher he's been the entire time.

[JoeHova]

I'm not a fan of this, but Villy has been pitching pretty poorly. Hopefully he'll get it turned around in the pen and get back into the rotation ASAP.

[Ennder]

Who knows, maybe he'll go all Dempster on the league and actually pitch better as a starter than a RP.

[Thurston Fluff]

I see it as a high risk low reward move. McClung throws 4 innings while waling 3 and King 4 and allowing 2 runs to score. Well its a success! Then we'll be stuck with McClung for another 3 starts where he turns out to be the same pitcher he's been the entire time.

 

I suppose it is impossible to have another pitcher turn into Doug Davis and actually develope into a decent pitcher. Even if he is the same as he's always been I don't see how much worse what he always was from the other options we have at the moment. The high reward part is more due to the low level of success needed to be a better option than the status quo.

[sgtcluels]

Didn't Rick Helling come back form a DL Stint, stike out the first 6 in a row and then proceed to get rocked?

 

I'm not completely sold on Seth simply because I think he's a two pitch pitcher. If he can work in another pitch maybe, but I think the league will figure him out and he'll become very ineffective.

[brewizard]

It's hard to have a lot of faith at this point

 

I've been hearing that a lot lately.

 

I guess they feel like they have to do something, but this looks like flailing around aimlessly to me...

 

Me too. I've been watching the Brewers long enough to know their M.O.

 

Barring a major move, it is time to seriously lower our expectations for this team

 

Ya think? Many have been saying that since the moment Yo was done for the year. The team knows it too. Why do you think they didn't expect to win in Boston?

[Fatter than Joey]

Helling was on the scrap heap, had some pretty decent results as a mop-up/LR pitcher, for the Brewers -- and then got some starts and got crushed.

 

McClung's problem in the past was his high number of walks (6+/9IP) -- He is still walking batters at that same rate, I dont see any reason to expect his ERA to stay under 4.00 much longer.

[Baldkin]

Didn't Rick Helling come back form a DL Stint, stike out the first 6 in a row and then proceed to get rocked?

He struck out the side in the first on 9 pitches, vs the Tigers. Then gave 2 in the 2nd and 6 in the 3rd.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/box/2006/MIL200606200.shtml

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bjkrautk]

How much of a leash do you think McClung will be given if he struggles? (Does he get two starts? three? etc.) My basic perspective on things is that they'd rather risk losing Weaver than McClung down-the-line (ie., when Riske comes off the DL).

 

IIRC, Weaver's contract can make him a free agent if he's not in Milwaukee by June 1; that gives McClung two chances to hold on to the spot in the rotation (5/24 @ Washington and 5/29 v. Atlanta). That should also give them at least two more chances to see if Weaver can improve on his minor league numbers, to prove whether or not he actually deserves a shot at the rotation.

[endaround]

I suppose it is impossible to have another pitcher turn into Doug Davis and actually develope into a decent pitcher. Even if he is the same as he's always been I don't see how much worse what he always was from the other options we have at the moment. The high reward part is more due to the low level of success needed to be a better option than the status quo.

Davis was a decent pitcher before he came to the Brewers, McClung has earned his 6 ERA. The idea is to give you the best chance not to just blindly scrounge.

 

[Thurston Fluff]

Davis was a decent pitcher before he came to the Brewers, McClung has earned his 6 ERA. The idea is to give you the best chance not to just blindly scrounge.

 

How decent couldhis career have been when he got taken off the scrap heap? Lefties don't usually get thrown aside unless they really have struggled. As far as giving ourselves the best chance i'd say at this point the best chance is trying other options than Villy since he has been pretty brutal. If this doens't work out chances are it would ahve been a loss anyway so why not try?

[joepepsi]

Lost in all this is the Brewers are playing a bit better in the last couple weeks. Suppan is pretty much right at his career average, Sheets is having a very good year so far (crosses his fingers), Parra has put in 3 starts in a row where he's stronger each time. Bush is slowly getting back to that league average guy he used to be. The offense is playing better too. McClung just has to be average and the team will look much stronger, given the slow improvements already taking place over the last couple weeks.

[DrWood]

Villy, Villy, Villy... just make pitches in the future so this all gets put to bed. I really liked the rotation coming into the year with Sheets, Yo, Suppan, Villy, and Parra. Parra is making strides, though he still wastes way too many pitches, he needs to be more economical.

The pittsburgh batters were "wasting" his pitches by fouling so many off. It wasn't like he was throwing a high percentage of balls.

[JohnBriggs12]

The timing of this move is curious to me. I knew they were looking at finding a chance to see what McClung could do in a starting role. But once Riske went down, that meant McClung would be used in more critical situations in relief.

 

They held a meeting a week ago last Monday where they decided to stick with the rotation. The next day, Villanueva recorded a win and a quality start over the Dodgers. Apparently all that performance earned him was one more start where all he had to shut down the Red Sox in Fenway to keep his rotation spot. Besides the shoddy defense of Fielder in that game came at the worst possible time for a young pitcher.

 

I think they are better off committing to a guy like Villanueva, and living with him through a rough period just as they have with Parra. I just think the payoff is so much bigger if he survives a down period and recovers than it is sticking a journeyman like McClung in there for 5 or 6 innings every 5th day. I may be wrong and McClung could give them a spark, but you don't want to lose (in the sense he loses confidence) a 24 year old who at times has done some real good things in his 2 years in the big leagues.