How do you feel about the rotation (as presently constituted)?

[trwi7]

The fact we have not added even any pitchers to minor league deals tells me that our second options if we have an injury might be Chris Capuano, Mark DiFelice and maybe to a lesser extent Mark Rogers who is coming into camp healthy for the first time in 2 years.

The guy hasn't pitched in two years and has never pitched above A ball. There's no way he's an option. I'm guessing the options are Capuano, DiFelice, Welch and Wright.

[kramnoj]

To think that Melvin went into the offseason expecting to lose Sabathia and having no interest in resigning Sheets at any price and having no plans whatsoever to replace either of them is mindboggling.

 

There's having opinions, and there is being just plain wrong. Melvin had an interest in retaining Sheets and did so by offering arbitration. It seems clear that Melvin doesn't have much interest in offering a multi-year deal to Sheets, and I find it hard to argue with that.

 

There are still pitchers on the market. Wolf and Looper are available and the competition for them is dwindling. I think Melvin has played this as well as could be expected. He is watching a game of musical chairs, and he is waiting for a player to be left standing when the music stops. Once that happens, he can move in with a low offer and the player won't have much choice but to accept.

[bobskube]

There are a couple offers on the table for #4/5 Type starters. We will find out if those offers are taken in the next week. They will not go into the season without adding some depth to the rotation but it has to be for the right price. Doug is scared to death of the depth of starters as currently laid out although he is saying he is fine with it just in case he gets stuck with it.

 

This has been a odd off-season. Be patient.

[Invader3K]

Doug is scared to death of the depth of starters as currently laid out

What are you basing this on?

[bobskube]

Doug is scared to death of the depth of starters as currently laid out

What are you basing this on?

We will have to wait and see in the next two weeks. Doug will get it done.

[trwi7]

What are you basing this on?

Common sense. There's no way Melvin is comfortable going into the season with Gallardo/Parra/Bush/Suppan/McClung with Capuano and DiFelice as the backups.

[3Putt]

We see what we have in Suppan which is barely enough to call a credible #5.

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. and No. No matter how many times you say this it won't be true. Suppan is the definition of a #5 pitcher who is a borderline #4 pitcher. Don't let Suppan's contract cloud your judgement on what Suppan is and isn't.

Dats allota No's Nate. If you're right then then the Brewers really don't have to worry about pitching this year. Last year 6 other starters had better starting numbers than Suppan (Sabathia, Gallardo, Sheets, Parra, Bush & McClung). I realize they won't all be around this year but it still makes it tough for me to believe that Suppan is borderline #4. His innings were low again also which continues to be a concern.

[TooLiveBrew]

There are a couple offers on the table for #4/5 Type starters. We will find out if those offers are taken in the next week.

 

This is great info, if it's true (I assume & hope it is).

 

 

This has been a odd off-season. Be patient.

 

That should be the site motto. Every offseason.

[silversurferr]

Anyone have details on Capuano?

[nate82]

Dats allota No's Nate. If you're right then then the Brewers really don't have to worry about pitching this year. Last year 6 other starters had better starting numbers than Suppan (Sabathia, Gallardo, Sheets, Parra, Bush & McClung). I realize they won't all be around this year but it still makes it tough for me to believe that Suppan is borderline #4. His innings were low again also which continues to be a concern.

Suppan pitched 206.2 innings in 2007 which was the most in his previous 3 years when he was with the Cardinals. Last year Suppan pitched 177.2 mostly due to an injury he had later in the year and the Brewers riding on Sabathia for nearly a whole month. The only thing concerning about Suppan was his FIP last year which was the highest since 2002. Suppans career FIP is 4.79 that right there suggest he is a solid #5 or a borderline #4 pitcher. Suppan's value to the Brewers is as a #4 pitcher right now since he will give the Brewers close to 200 innings next year. His FIP should go back down near the 4.79 again.

 

The only problem with Suppan is that he is an overpaid #4 or #5 pitcher. Suppan is the #4 pitcher because there is no one else who could be the #4 pitcher on the current team. If the Brewers resign Sheets Suppan does go down to the #5 pitcher though behind Bush and McClung would then become the #6 pitcher.

[Ennder]

If I had to classify pitchers I'd probably say a 3.5 or lower is a #1, 3.5-4.0 is a #2, 4.0-4.5 is a #3 and 4.5-5.0 is a #4 with a 5.0+ being a #5. The reality is actually worse than what I posted but I think a lot of the #5 stats are really put up by #6+ who get more innings.

 

Suppan pretty much slots right into that #4 in my opinion and McClung probably is a #5. Bush slots in as a #3 just fine and I could see Gallardo being a #1 and Parra a #2.

 

The problem becomes when someone gets hurt, there is no depth at all.

[JohnBriggs12]

Parra may have the stuff to be a number 2, but his numbers don't say it. I think besides the obvious lack of depth, they are putting way too much faith in Parra.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Just like the Twins did with Kevin Slowey. Slowey really struggled in 2007. How did that end up turning out?

[Invader3K]

I agree. I think Parra is a #3 at best. Really, Bush is the #2 at this point, as the rotation is currently constructed. Yes, I know Parra "hit his wall" when all the experts supposedly projected him to, but a 4.39 ERA and 1.54 WHIP don't scream #2, even if you figure he improves this year.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

147 Strikeouts in 166 innings isn't too shabby though. If he brings his walks down, he could end up being a special pitcher.

[MJLiverock]

Even with zero serious injuries or DL time I just don't see how the current staff can thow enough innings as constructed, they will need a minimum of 150 innings of starting pitching from somewhere outside of the 5 mentioned. They really need to add at least one starting pitcher. Capuano would be a nice story if he can come back but when what if it is too late for when really needed or why count on a guy coming off a major arm surgery. I just can't rely on a guy like that to be "the guy" as an answer. Any performance out of him is just icing on the cake for me.

[Ennder]

Parra may have the stuff to be a number 2, but his numbers don't say it. I think besides the obvious lack of depth, they are putting way too much faith in Parra.

His last 20 starts of 2008 he put up a 3.91 ERA with even better peripherals, 102 K, 49 BB in 110.2 IP and a .715 OPS against. He is young and put up stellar numbers in the minors. I don't think I'm putting too much faith in him at all. He most certainly projects as a future #2 and I'd say if he does go into #3 range it will be closer to a 4.00 ERA than a 4.50. To be honest the projection I have the least faith in is Bush as a #3, he is the type of guy who is going to have very erratic ERA's and I could see him being closer to 5 than to 4.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Yeah, Bush is the guy I'm worried about too. He got extremely lucky last year. Somehow in 2008 his K rate went down and his Walk rate went up and he had a lower ERA than 2007. That's not a good sign for 2009.

[bobskube]

There are a couple offers on the table for #4/5 Type starters. We will find out if those offers are taken in the next week. They will not go into the season without adding some depth to the rotation but it has to be for the right price. Doug is scared to death of the depth of starters as currently laid out although he is saying he is fine with it just in case he gets stuck with it.

 

This has been a odd off-season. Be patient.

Doug was not going to go into the season standing pat with what he had. He gambled on Looper's price coming down and won. He also was in on Randy Wolf, but Wolf wanted to play in LA more than Milwaukee.

[TooLiveBrew]

Great info, bobskube... thanks for sharing that last week.

[yount19.u]

I'm liking the rotation a lot more today than I was yesterday. I'm curious to hear how you all think the Brewers will order the rotation to start the season if there are no injures. I'm thinking it will be Yo, Bush, Suppan, Parra and Looper. This is not an indication of who is a better, just how I think they will start the season.

[Ennder]

For what it is worth BPro's depth charts came out today and the Brewers came out as 2nd place in the NL Central with 83 wins. 823 RS and 807 RA. If Looper saves them 11 runs it likes us to have the 2nd best pitching in the central and it already has us with the 2nd best offense.

 

I'd think Looper pushes us up to around 85 wins which would be 3 games off the wild card pace which isn't too bad. 3 games is easily made up with a breakout, more health than expected, luck in 1 run games etc.

 

It has the Cubs with 96 wins, Cards with 80, Reds with 79, Astros 67 and Pirates 65. Seems about right to me though I could see the Cards not winning that much with the weak backend to their rotation.

[kramnoj]

I'm curious to hear how you all think the Brewers will order the rotation to start the season if there are no injures. I'm thinking it will be Yo, Bush, Suppan, Parra and Looper. This is not an indication of who is a better, just how I think they will start the season.

 

The D-List briefly touched on this, this morning. It's probably something that deserves its own thread at some point, I don't know when that historically happens here. My guess is that Bush gets game two and Parra gets game three. The big question is who do you have pitch the season opener vs the home opener. Do you let Suppan start the season and have Yo get the home opener? Or do you just ignore the home opener hooplah and set the rotation in order of talent?

[MillerParkSouth]

Last year they had Carlos V start the home opener after Sheets pitched game 1 in Chicago, so i'd expect them to let Yo go game 1 in SF. Hopefully that means Looper, not Suppan will now be starting the home opener this year.

[bobskube]

I'd like to see them save Parra for Game 4 and Soup for 5. In the long term, it make no difference if we hold Parra back. I'd rather have him against the Cubs than Looper.

 

Overall, it really doesn't matter and makes my point literally moot.