Rotation battle

[Milltownhooker]

Parra wasn't fooling anybody today. Man I hope he can go on the DL to start the season. Anyway round 1 seems to have gone to Suppan & Narveson

[stoutdude04]

Spring training is to work on pitches and get back into the grove. I believe Sheets was notorious for getting lit up during spring training. I also doubt they put people on the DL to start the season unless a real injury exists.

[TheCrew07]

I DVR'd the game and watched it in it's entirety when I got home.

 

I thought both Bush and Parra left pitches up in the zone and got hit hard at times, generally though it looked like Parra was making an effort to work the lower part of the zone. Parra's FB is pretty darn straight and when he leaves it up he generally gets hit hard. Every pitch they hit hard was a FB catching too much of the plate between the thigh and belt, so I'd agree that on the surface nothing much has changed. However, I thought his best inning was the 3rd and he made some progress as the game moved along.

 

Villy didn't look all that sharp again today and he struggled last spring as well, it will be interesting to see where he ends up.

[Ennder]

I still don't think what Suppan does really matters this spring. Either Bush and Parra take the 4/5 jobs or they don't and it falls back to Suppan. Narveson has to be perfect this spring to win it most likely.

[Invader3K]

I didn't see the Suppan game, but supposedly his "stuff" was looking a bit better than last year. More downward motion on his pitches. Maybe working with Petersen has already helped him a bit. I'm not expecting him to do big things this year, but if he starts the year in the rotation, I don't think it's the end of the world either.

[Paulus88]

I thought the best part of the broadcast yesterday were the interviews of the players. Specifically relevant to this topic was Zaun saying that he prefers to call a lot of fastballls making the location on those fastballs important. In my mind this seems to be a good idea for Parra because he can focus on locating the fastball before messing with the more inconsistent breaking stuff. That said, at least yesterday, he couldn't locate the fastball or throw the breaking stuff for strikes.

[JohnBriggs12]

Paulus88 is on to something. Parra did better with Rivera too because Rivera called more fastballs than Kendall especially the first time through the order. Parra's fastball was up and over the plate yesterday though, and he needs to work on keeping it down or getting it in.

 

As to the competition, it's really hard to get a read on it yet. I think Parra's actually going to have to really shine because he's got both the most trade value and the most vivid bad imagery in Macha's head from last year. If he has an outing or two that reminds Macha of a bad one from last year, then I think they'll try to move him. The other thing going against Parra is he's left handed.

 

If I had to bet, I'd say Suppan and Bush make the rotation. Parra is traded. Narveson is the long man in bullpen. Hoffman, Coffey, Hawkins, Vargas and Stetter are bullpen locks and the final spot is between Villanueva and Schoeneweis. If either Bush or especially Suppan falters in the first 6 weeks, I look for a quick move to Narveson as a replacement.

 

Other than Parra being traded, the next most likely scenario is they just dump Suppan altogether.

 

Anything could happen though.

[brewtank34]

I thought that Parra's curve was lookin sharp yesterday. I specifically remember him facing a lefty, brought a FB up and in to the chin. The next pitch was a wicked curve buckling the knees of the batter. That made me smile.

[brewernp]

Milltown, I was at the game yesterday and Parra scuffled a little in the first but looked very good after that. Really in the first he made one mistake and had some good pitches hit. He looked very sharp in his bullpen session before the game as well. It was nice that I could stand about 4 feet away to watch. i think there is about a zero percent chance they trade him with the stuff he has. Remember he is a "young" lefty.

 

Bush looked pretty Bushlike as well.

 

Lovin' ST eventough the weather kind of blows.

[Milltownhooker]

I don't know about Parra even his outs looked hit pretty hard. I got a feeling Bush is the odd man out. My gut says Suppan # 4 Parra # 5. Then Narveson takes Parra's s pot when he implodes

[Ennder]

I don't know about Parra even his outs looked hit pretty hard. I got a feeling Bush is the odd man out. My gut says Suppan # 4 Parra # 5. Then Narveson takes Parra's s pot when he implodes

I get the opposite feeling. I think Suppan and Parra are battling for #5 and it is high unlikely Bush doesn't make the rotation.

[fleehaw]

If I had to bet, I'd say Suppan and Bush make the rotation. Parra is traded. Narveson is the long man in bullpen. Hoffman, Coffey, Hawkins, Vargas and Stetter are bullpen locks and the final spot is between Villanueva and Schoeneweis. If either Bush or especially Suppan falters in the first 6 weeks, I look for a quick move to Narveson as a replacement.

 

Other than Parra being traded, the next most likely scenario is they just dump Suppan altogether.

 

Anything could happen though.

Parra is exactly the type of pitcher everyone was clamouring for in the offseason. A youngish, inexpensive, breakout candidate. I will be utterly shocked if he is traded especially when his competition Bush and Suppan with Davis as a 'lock' in the rotation.

 

It would truly be a pound foolish move considering he, Gallardo, and Wolf are the only members of the rotation under contract next year.

 

 

[thebruce44]

FWIW Parra said he had the blood pumping in the first and was overthrowing (i.e. leaving the ball up). Once he settled down he pitched much better. The guy has all the talent in the world, its up to Peterson and Parra to harness it. I sure hope when he does he is still on the Brewers.

[RobDeer 45]

I can't see Parra going anywhere. I just can't. It will be really inetersting and we have to do what we can to have depth because as we all know, "stuff" happens.

[Nottso]

Suppan may just be our ace this year. Think about it for a minute. You're a major league hitter. For the past 3 years, as soon as you saw the pitch come out of his hand, you knew exactly where it would end up, and you killed it. Now this year, the ball has that vital 1/2" more movement.

[Milltownhooker]

Well Narveson was just about penfect yesterday hopefully he can move Parra to the long man spot starter.

[Tbadder]

I didn't mind how Parra threw. He was aggressive and worked on his main weakness--locating the fastball. I don't mind the fastball left high because it seems to me the result are better than leaving a slider or hammer at the belt.

[JohnBriggs12]

I don't know if it's for show, but Macha has been raving about Narveson all spring. Something Macha said late last year on his weekly WTMJ appearance has stuck with me. I don't quite remember how he phrased it but he was asked something along the lines whether the poor performances by the starters would mean changes next year and he said basically "you answered you're own question". As of now the only guy who's been jettisoned off that rotation is Looper.

 

Macha gives me the impression that he couldn't care less that a guy "came through the Brewer system" as in the case of Parra, or even that he's had a level of success prior to Macha's arrival as in the case of Bush. Narveson is the only guy competing that hasn't pitched poorly since Macha arrived. Bush, Suppan and Parra certainly have and you can come up with excuses for each but it's reality. I think on this board, people like to pull for the home grown guys so there's sentiment toward Parra from many and because Bush is such a likable guy who's occasionally pitched very well, people pull for him. Macha isn't the sentimental type though, but he's not the only one determining the roster either.

 

We certainly all would like to be flies on the wall when Melvin, Macha, and Peterson sit down with a week to go in spring training to discuss the situation.

[Ennder]

I think on this board, people like to pull for the home grown guys so there's sentiment toward Parra

 

I think it is more they know Parra has huge upside and as a ground ball lefty who Ks a lot he has pretty much the perfect skill set if he can ever get the walks under control again. He didn't have control problems in the minors so they are assuming it won't last. Even with the bad season his career FIP is 4.40 and career xFIP is 4.23. The talent is obviously there, he just needs to put it all together. I doubt very many are just saying he should start because he was a minor league player for the Brewers, they just are looking deeper than just ERA.

 

If he can't throw strikes in spring though I don't see how Macha sends him out there to start the season. He has to get it together in a hurry if he wants a spot.

[logan82]

Parra already has one good MLB season under his belt as well. He had a 4.39 ERA in 2008. That even includes a few starts at the end where he was obviously worn down and should have been shut down. Parra probably has the 2nd best or best stuff on the staff.

[thebruce44]

Parra probably has the 2nd best or best stuff on the staff.

I agree with this and I think Doug has mentioned in the past that often times lefties take a little longer to put it togeather.

 

Personally I like Parra because of those reasons. It has nothing to do with watching him come up through our system.

[brewtank34]

In TH's blog this morning he states...

"At some point, barring injury, it seems they will have to pick one or the other for the rotation, because the first three spots are taken with Gallardo, Wolf and Davis, and Suppan at present seems lined up at No. 5. We'll see how that plays out."

 

If this is the logic that the Brewers are toying with, I would be upset. If you have two people battling over the 4 spot, wouldn't it just make sense to have one of them be the 4 and one of them be the 5?, pushing Suppan out of the rotation? Seems logical to me. Add in Narveson and Soup has no right even being mentioned in the starting rotation.

 

Looking back on it now, I'm glad I took Logic 101 in college. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

 

[Ennder]

I think TH is posting more opinion than fact there. He seems to be one who has read a lot into Parra/Bush sharing a day to pitch.

[Invader3K]

Yeah, I agree. I'm not sure how it can be assumed Suppan (or any of the other three guys) have anything locked up at this point.

[Milltownhooker]

Lets hope TH is sharing opi/nion Its barely mid-March & Tom has decided the rotation for Macha & company.