What if McClung becomes a better choice than Suppan?

[DonMoney4Mgr]

What if this is it for Suppan? What if he starts the season horribly and is getting us behind in every game he pitches?

 

We now have come to expect at least a guy who's ERA is around 5, a 500 pitcher, and someone who can eat up a lot innings. However, last year he was not clutch down the stretch, he did not come up big in the playoffs, and it is possible that he is done.

 

I know I tend to be gloom and doom, but I hope this organization doesn't sacrifice a better chance to win to try and justify a bad contract.

[Invader3K]

If he really gets bad, I have no doubt they will put him in the bullpen. I have faith in Melvin and Macha to do the right thing.

 

Hopefully, he will at least be serviceable as a #5 pitcher, and we won't have to worry about it.

[Ennder]

Well if that happens then hopefully DiFelice gets a chance because I like him more than McClung.

 

But yeah I wouldn't worry much about spring training. If I'm worried about any pitcher it is Gallardo so far.

[joepepsi]

Suppan's best years were his 3 in St. Louis, probably due a combination of age/wily experience and great defense. Here's his ERA's the 4 years before St. Louis: 4.94, 4.37, 5.32, 4.19. The Cardinal years were his peak, and the Brewers bought high. I think he's still the same league average innings eater that he's always been. As one of the guys who "pitches to contact" he'll always be susceptible to swings in ERA from year to year.

 

His career ERA is 4.63. After his September 9th start last year his season ERA was 4.63. Then he had two really bad outings. I think he was nursing injuries for a big part of last year. I don't think we'll ever see sub 4 ERA from him again, but I expect him to be right around his averages.

 

McClung wasn't really much better than Suppan as a starter. I'm not sure he has the track record for us to assume he would perform better than Suppan, even if Suppan is sitting on a 5 ERA. Now, if after 10-15 starts Suppan has a 6 ERA, then maybe it's time claim tendonitis and sit him down for a couple weeks. Then let's see what McClung can do. Or someone else.

[Ennder]

Yeah I can agree with that. Suppan is older so he is probably slightly worse than his career ERA and with a mediocre infield behind him I'd probably expect him to sit at a 4.50-5.25 ERA or so. McClung is probably in that same 4.50-5.25 range as a starter.

[Molitor4]

you mean he's not already was i the only person that noticed mcclung pitched pretty dang good last year as a starter. Suppan is slipping no doubt and his room for error is much smaller then mcclung due to the difference in velocity.

[Never Outhustled]

I'd love it if we got the oppurtunity to pick between McClung and Suppan, as that would mean Gallardo, Parra, Looper, and Bush were all healthy and pitching well. I might as well ask for a toilet made of gold while we're dreaming. The season just never goes that easy.

[Mr QL]

I don't think it's a question of what if. I think we have numerous options in the organization right now besides McClung that would be better starters than Suppan.

[RockCoCougars]

What if this is it for Suppan? What if he starts the season horribly and is getting us behind in every game he pitches?

People will probably still come on here and say that he's delivered exactly what was expected of him. A good vet to have in the clubhouse, and an innings eater.

 

Personally, I'd be thrilled if he had an ERA south of 5.5 or so, but that may be wishful thinking. I'm expecting him to be somewhere between Glendon Rusch circa 2003 and Jamie Navarro circa 2000. I really hope I'm wrong.

[crewcrazy]

I don't think we need to worry about Suppan's ERA as much as we do about his IP. Most of the projections I've seen for him have the ERA in the 4.70-5.30 range, but most of the IP totals are in the 160's. Something like that -- whether it be by injury or ineffectiveness -- could pose a problem, especially if Manny has trouble going deep into games again and Bush gets off to a rocky start.

[kramnoj]

but I hope this organization doesn't sacrifice a better chance to win to try and justify a bad contract.

 

Do we have reason to believe that of this organization? This is a team that fired a coach in September in a playoff race. I don't think Attanasio will let anybody drag the team down if there is a better alternative.

 

I think we have numerous options in the organization right now besides McClung that would be better starters than Suppan.

 

Which pitchers do you think would be better, and how do you think they would do?

[Tbadder]

I think that Wright and Green will get starts this year. I think McClung stays in the pen. I'd love to see Suppan in the pen. There's the place where we need an innings eater once a week!

[JohnBriggs12]

I think that Wright and Green will get starts this year. I think McClung stays in the pen. I'd love to see Suppan in the pen. There's the place where we need an innings eater once a week!

You don't really need an innings eater in the bullpen. Not that Suppan is one either if he's not effective. Back in the day of 10 or 11 man pitching staffs, the long man served a role. Now, especially in the NL, unless the starter is knocked out in the first inning, the long man isn't going to pitch more than 3 innings. In fact the term "long man" really is a misnomer in today's game. A better term would be "early inning reliever/mopup guy/staff saver. His role is generally to get you through the 5th inning, mopup up at the end of a blowout, or be insurance in case a game goes beyond 12-13 innings and your bullpen is empty.

 

That's why if McClung is put in that spot, I'd still use him occasionally to start as a 6th starter because he's not the 12th best pitcher on the roster in all likeliehood. Defilice might make more sense if that guy is strictly your 12th pitcher. Now if Suppan gets domoted because of ineffectiveness, he becomes a very expensive 12th pitcher.

[MessiahRp]

Hmm, I wonder what the odds are that Suppan gets DFA'd before the end of his contract?

 

Honestly if he has a bunch of bad outings it would be hard to see that the Brewers would be able to justify having him on the roster and pitching solely because of his paycheck versus wanting to win.

 

Also if Suppan and McClung are only 4.5-5.25 ERA pitchers, is there anyone on the market that would be an upgrade over that? Pedro Martinez maybe?

 

Rp

[1992casey]

Back in the day of 10 or 11 man pitching staffs, the long man served a role.

 

Not to mention the days when 9 man staffs were the norm and 10 man staffs were relatively unusual... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[joepepsi]

I think Suppan has enough "wily veteran" credentials that even if he's terrible in the rotation he'd do fine in a mop up role out of the pen. Sorta like Dave Burba.

 

I think the only way he isn't on the team for the entire contract is if he pitches well one year but the team tanks it. Then it's possible a contender in desperate need to replace an injured 3/4 starter will be willing to take on the contract.

[silversurferr]

Suppan's ERA will be under 5 because Macha will have a quicker hook than Yost, and our bullpen is better this year than last. I hope.

[BrewCrewForever]

I like McClung a lot, but out of the pen. My hope is that Capuano has good outings during his rehab work in the minor league's and shows that he could start again and then if Suppan still sucks, which he probably will Chris could come up and take over the #5 spot. I can't count out Capuano, the guy works too hard and has been good before to not come back from this injury and do something good. Just my opinion. I know people give him a hard time about all those consecutive starts without winning in 2007 but dude had some awful luck in many of those games.

[Scooter1027]

I think DiFelice is the guy we should be looking at as another starter. Two fantastic seasons in AAA, followed by a strong showing on the big league club last year, and he's just keeping it going this spring (4 shutout innings against Venezuela's stacked lineup, 5 shutout innings with the Crew, 6 K/0 BB).

[Invader3K]

It would be nice if the Brewers have internal options for extra starters later in the season, and if they are still in it, they wouldn't be forced to trade top prospects for a starter before the trade deadline.

[TooLiveBrew]

I think DiFelice is the guy we should be looking at as another starter. Two fantastic seasons in AAA, followed by a strong showing on the big league club last year, and he's just keeping it going this spring (4 shutout innings against Venezuela's stacked lineup, 5 shutout innings with the Crew, 6 K/0 BB).

 

I agree completely on DiFelice. Between him, McClung, Green, and even Cappy as an outside shot, the Brewers have some solid #5-type SP depth this season.

[Yeti73]

DiFelice is very intriguing. I think Yetti deserves a shot. When he started last year, he did really well and for awhile was pushing to get Bush's spot. Wasn't all that long ago that Yost was making the silly decision to alternate the two. If nothing else, it shows that Yetti was a worthy candidate.

 

I think Soup will give us a few good outing this year and will continue to be who he is (4.50 era) nothing more, occasionally something less.

[pete]

If salaries weren't relevant, DiFelice would probably get the 5th spot out of ST. I think Suppan's salary means he'll get every chance, probably through the middle of next year, to be an adequate starter.

[bklynbrewcrew]

This is one of the biggest problems with having Suppan; besides his salary being a complete albatross he is going to be in the rotation over more deserving pitchers. Suppan is also slated to start opening day which makes no sense to me whatsoever.

[strawbossisevil]

I don't think we have any starter who is an overwhelmingly better option than Suppan. It's not like someone who is clearly better is being held out (as bklyn asserts). McClung is likely to put up similar numbers but has never pitched the innings of Suppan. Difelice is over 30 and still has yet to play more than a handful of innings in the Majors. I like what he could bring in the bullpen, but I think he'd be exposed as a starter.

 

If Jeffress is lighting things up but can't get in the rotation next season because of Suppan, then it would be a valid point. Right now, not so much.