Mark Rogers

[CheezWizHed]

Rogers has 8(?) games left on his suspension and he was granted another option year.

 

Can the Brewers simply put him on the MLB roster (as inactive-suspended) for 8 games then option him to the MiLB club? Normally the MLB games start way before the MiLB clubs. So that way Rogers wouldn't miss any actual time?

[Tedaldtada]

Today, I thought I heard the TV guys say that the MiLB season actually starts before the MLB season.

[CheezWizHed]

Actually, that is correct. April 5th for the sounds, April 6th for the Brewers. I guess my question is invalid then...

 

Wow, that's later than normal. Last year they started 3/31.

[paul253]

It's 8 games right? Not 8 starts. So essentially if he is listed as the #4 or #5 starter he'd only really miss one start?

[MLS1965]

I heard he threw yesterday during the Cubs game and did really well.

[brewmann04]

He threw a nice 1 2 3 inning

[sveumrules]

I know I'm just another dude dreaming on the internet at this point but if Rogers and Braddock both are healthy and pitch to their potential this year they could give a real nice boost to the bullpen.

[TooLiveBrew]

I know I'm just another dude dreaming on the internet at this point but if Rogers and Braddock both are healthy and pitch to their potential this year they could give a real nice boost to the bullpen.

Then call me dude #2. The potential here is really exciting, even if I know I should be tempering my expectations for both of these guys.

[reillymcshane]

I know I'm just another dude dreaming on the internet at this point but if Rogers and Braddock both are healthy and pitch to their potential this year they could give a real nice boost to the bullpen.

I don't see this as unrealistic. I just wish they'd put him in the bullpen and let him go from there. We don't over stress his arm. Tell him to master his fastball and one other pitch. Tell him to come in and unwind for 20 or so pitches and be done. There's virtually no way K-Rod is back in Milwaukee after this year. If Rogers could make himself into a solid 7th or 8th inning guy, that would be huge for the team in 2013 and beyond. Even in the 'good' times for Rogers, he usually threw so many pitches he was gassed by the 5th inning. As much as I'd like him to be a starter, he just doesn't seem to have it in him.

 

Perhaps I'm wrong on this. Maybe starting is actually 'easier' in the sense that you have more off days, you get more regimented.

 

It would be pretty cool to have Rogers, Veras, Axford and Braddock coming out of the pen and pumping in 95 mph pitches by the end of the year.

[TooLiveBrew]

Parra & Kintzler are two more guys who can get their FBs up into the mid-90s. I think there's a good chance two of Parra/Kintzler/Rogers/Braddock make significant contributions to the 2012 MLB 'pen.

[paul253]

I'd still like to see Rogers given every opportunity as a starter this season. If he gets hurt again or just doesn't cut it, give him a chance to make the roster next season as a reliever. If he doesn't make it, it may be time to consider letting him walk. But if he can succeed as a starter it would really benefit the team, particularly in 2013.

[TooLiveBrew]

I agree with reilly, 6 professional seasons pitching for Rogers (8 total, counting '07-'08) has been long enough to see he's not a good fit for a starting position. His body just hasn't been able to hold up, for whatever reasons. But his stuff is dynamite, & I'd love to see him in the MLB bullpen as soon as he's fully healthy.

[brettac1]

Yeah, there is no shame at all in having a first round pick develop into a good reliever.

[paul253]

No there isn't, but we shouldn't give up on him yet. He was healthy all of 2010 and had some freak carpel tunnel injury last year that he has seemingly recovered from. His shoulder has held up fine for two full years now. He has enormous potential as a starter and until that potential is gone I don't see why you should move him, especially with all possible holes in the rotation next season. If he doesn't cut it he doesn't cut it. You can always give him a shot at the bullpen next spring. If he blows that then maybe you can sneak him through waivers and send him back to Nashville. Or you can let him walk and wish him well. But either way, I don't think the year he is heading into spring healthy is the year you take him out of the rotation.

[TooLiveBrew]

He hasn't been too successful as a starter either, though, that's a big part of the problem (his BB & K rates scream reliever at this point, imho). If the Brewers could somehow ensure that he could apply his great stuff & pitch deep into games, that'd be fantastic. But my personal belief is that it's time to cut bait with trying to see if he'll pan out as a starter & just make sure you get some MLB service out of his fantastic arm.

[jerichoholicninja]

I can't believe Rogers has been with the organization for 8 years already. Yes, it's time to pass on him as a starter and move him to the bullpen.

[paul253]

I can't believe Rogers has been with the organization for 8 years already. Yes, it's time to pass on him as a starter and move him to the bullpen.

 

Just because he has been in the organization for 8 years? What if he fails as a reliever as well? The guy is finally healthy heading into spring. He still throws upper 90's. Really the only two things holding him back are health and control. He could learn to pitch more to contact, which is something a lot of pitchers do. As far as health goes, his shoulder has held up for 2 years now so maybe he has gotten over that mountain. But as of now, I see no reason not to let him keep starting. You can put in Nashville and let him build up his arm strength and maybe even use the year to teach him how to pitch to contact. I'd prefer the move to the bullpen when there is nowhere else to put him.

[JohnBriggs12]

Parra & Kintzler are two more guys who can get their FBs up into the mid-90s. I think there's a good chance two of Parra/Kintzler/Rogers/Braddock make significant contributions to the 2012 MLB 'pen.

 

 

If one of those 4 makes a significant contribution, I'll be surprised if by significant you mean they do anything other than mopup, 11th or 12th man on the staff contribution.

 

The pen is pretty set with Axford, K-Rod, Veras, Loe, and Estrada getting the bulk of work. They will likely have a lefty in one of the two remaining spots, but I'm not convinced that guy is even in their camp right now. The last spot contenders include Fiers, Dillard and McClendon all of whom I'd put ahead of Rogers or Kintzler.

[TheCrew07]

The only thing I'll add is that it seems unlikely that a pitcher would improve his command throwing less, which is one of the reasons I prefer any reliever with promise actually works as a starting pitcher in the lower minors. At some point I'd like the organization to get away from the 6 inning pitcher, we have a rotation full of them right now. I'm not sure how you fix that or if you even can, but I hate leaving 3 or more innings to the bullpen every single night. The only good news is that most of our potential impact pitching has become part of the relief core so the bullpen so should be solid for years to come.

 

That being said, any MLB service time out of Mark would be fantastic at this point. It seems that going back to Yo all of our legitimate starting pitching prospects all have the same flaw, they just aren't economical with their pitches and run their pitch counts too high. Parra was probably the best of the group that way and it still irritates me that he's forced his way into the bullpen. LHP that run gas in the mid 90s don't go on trees, I was very high on him once he came back healthy. At some point I'd like the organization to get away from the 6 inning pitcher, we have a rotation full of them right now. I'm not sure how you fix that or if you even can, but I hate leaving 3 or more innings to the bullpen every single night. The only good news is that most of our potential impact pitching has become part of the relief core so the bullpen so should be solid for years to come.

[CheezWizHed]

The guy is finally healthy heading into spring.

 

I think the main point of putting him in the BP is to keep him that way. He keeps coming in healthy then having problems. Maybe the starter's work load isn't the problem, maybe it is.

 

With these SPs that consistently have injury histories, I don't see any harm in sticking them in the BP for a year or two and seeing how he holds up. Then you can revisit him as a starter later.

 

Johan Santana was moved to the BP because of a Rule V player, but it also helped him get used to the MLB batters before going back to starting the next year.

[jerichoholicninja]

...I don't see any harm in sticking them in the BP for a year or two and seeing how he holds up. Then you can revisit him as a starter later.

 

Johan Santana was moved to the BP because of a Rule V player, but it also helped him get used to the MLB batters before going back to starting the next year.

 

There are not many guys that get 10 years worth of chances with one organization. If he fails as a reliever why would there be any reason to do anything with him anymore?

 

Santana spent 4 seasons moving between bullpen and the rotation. It wasn't a quick transition.

[TheCrew07]

sorry for the horrible post, I'm not sure what happened, I cut an entire paragraph out and obviously I didn't read it again before I posted it. not worth editing now.

[CheezWizHed]

If he fails as a reliever why would there be any reason to do anything with him anymore?

 

My post that you quoted was referring to the question of putting him in the BP this year vs. starting him. If he fails in the BP, then he is cut and its the end.

 

But my point was that going to the BP doesn't signal the end of him perhaps in the future going back to starting. Your comment on Santana taking longer to go back to starting only reinforces my comment.

[jerichoholicninja]

 

But my point was that going to the BP doesn't signal the end of him perhaps in the future going back to starting. Your comment on Santana taking longer to go back to starting only reinforces my comment.

 

True. However, Santana was 21 as a rookie and 25 as a full time starter. Rogers is 26 now and if he takes the Santana path will be 30 (and I believe a free agent) by the time he's a full time starter. Rogers has almost become JM Gold or Mike Jones, except Mark actually made it to the majors.

[CheezWizHed]

and if he takes the Santana path will be 30 (and I believe a free agent) by the time he's a full time starter.

 

[sarcasm]Yes, because we will be forced to do exactly what Santana did, because all SPs that move to the BP follow that exact path.[/sarcasm]

 

How about you try not to take things quite so literally? I posed the Santana example because he represents a SP that started out at the MLB level in the BP. Not because Rogers will do exactly the same, nor that he is exactly the same age, nor because he should go to the BP for exactly the same reason...

 

People were insinuating that moving Rogers to the BP signaled an end to him being able to start, ever. I was simply trying to show that it wasn't necessarily true.