Is Hader’s days as a starter gone forever?

[deep vacuum]

2 time reliever of the year. Best RP in MLB last 2 years. Just a few years ago after the Brewers just missed making the wildcard round the Brewers were deciding where Hader would be best suited going forward to fit in with their team plans.

 

Any chance the Brewers would consider moving Hader back to being a starter? Just being curious here.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

The only answer to this is no

[RollieTime]

I don’t think they ever consider that again. Don’t want to risk messing him up by trying to get him used to 5+ inning starts, have that not work, and then try transitioning back. Starting is a totally different regimen that they go through and would be something he would need to have implemented for a while. It is just too risky to do with someone like Hader. If it was almost anyone else, yeah I could see it. But the 2 time relief pitcher of the year? No I don’t see that as even a possibility.

[deep vacuum]

I originally asked because I remember Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz winning the NL CY Young award then transitioning to being a dominant closer for a few years. I think he even went back to being a starter for Atlanta again.

[timpep]

I originally asked because I remember Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz winning the NL CY Young award then transitioning to being a dominant closer for a few years. I think he even went back to being a starter for Atlanta again.

I think that was because he was recovering from injury and couldn't go 7 innings at a time for a bit.

 

Or maybe that was Tom Glavine.

[clancyphile]

I originally asked because I remember Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz winning the NL CY Young award then transitioning to being a dominant closer for a few years. I think he even went back to being a starter for Atlanta again.

 

It's what the Brewers needed to do with Nelson in 2019, IMO. Turn him into a reliever.

[Ennder]

Hader doesn't have the arsenal to get through the lineup enough times to be a starter. He has 2 pitches on his good days and 1 pitch on his bad ones.

[MrTPlush]

The only answer to this is no

 

Yup, no need wasting breath on it. Simply never happening.

[adambr2]

I originally asked because I remember Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz winning the NL CY Young award then transitioning to being a dominant closer for a few years. I think he even went back to being a starter for Atlanta again.

 

It's what the Brewers needed to do with Nelson in 2019, IMO. Turn him into a reliever.

 

They tried. That didn't work either.

[Montezuma]

I believe Josh Hader's days as a Brewer is about over. Although he is a dominant relief pitcher, he has limited pitches and the batters are starting to figure him out... Pitchers have highs and lows, especially in relief. We need help in multiple positions and Hader is the perfect trade candidate.

[DHonks]

The only way a transition happens is if Hader approaches the team and expresses the desire to start. But given that he throws one pitch, I don’t see him moving to a rotation

[OldSchoolSnapper]

He's the perfect trade candidate until everybody thinks he is, which appears to be happening. I trust they'll only do so if it makes sense.

[MrTPlush]

The only way a transition happens is if Hader approaches the team and expresses the desire to start. But given that he throws one pitch, I don’t see him moving to a rotation

 

Do you think the team has even the slightest of care if Hader wanted to start? Pretty much any pitcher wants to start. That is where longevity, long term deals, and huge contracts are.

[Thurston Fluff]

I think the way the Brewers use their pitchers makes the move unlikely. Why use your best pitcher in a role that isn't as valuable as the one he has now? If we are debating if it would be feasible in general I don't see why he couldn't do it. Sure he only has two pitches but so did Sheets and Peralta. Granted Peralta wasn't a great starter but it's his control not his repertoire that gets him in trouble. Which happened in the pen as well.

Bradon Looper is probably the best person to look at for comparison because he converted to a starter when he had never had a single start in is 9 years as a major league pitcher. He certainly isn't the same level pitcher but he did manage to make the transition at age 32 and pitched 175 inning his first year as a starter. He also pitched at least 30 innings three consecutive seasons.

[DHonks]

The only way a transition happens is if Hader approaches the team and expresses the desire to start. But given that he throws one pitch, I don’t see him moving to a rotation

 

Do you think the team has even the slightest of care if Hader wanted to start? Pretty much any pitcher wants to start. That is where longevity, long term deals, and huge contracts are.

 

Man, always negative. This is a story we hear all the time that teams and players have discussions and if a player wants to try to transition to starting, the team may allow it as an experiment. It often doesn’t seem to work (Scott Williamson), but sometimes does (Derek Lowe).

[MrTPlush]

The only way a transition happens is if Hader approaches the team and expresses the desire to start. But given that he throws one pitch, I don’t see him moving to a rotation

 

Do you think the team has even the slightest of care if Hader wanted to start? Pretty much any pitcher wants to start. That is where longevity, long term deals, and huge contracts are.

 

Man, always negative. This is a story we hear all the time that teams and players have discussions and if a player wants to try to transition to starting, the team may allow it as an experiment. It often doesn’t seem to work (Scott Williamson), but sometimes does (Derek Lowe).

 

Lol, okay dude. Always negative, good one.

 

Guys who do that are nowhere near the level Hader is. Brewers didn’t give him a chance before he was a reliever, it won’t suddenly happen now. Hader wanted to start before, obviously the Brewers did not let him try.

[3and2Fastball]

Hader’s days as a starting pitcher were gone when he was in MiLB and couldn’t develop a consistent 2nd & 3rd pitch (and couldn’t maintain his top velocity beyond a few innings)