In this series of posts we humbly propose to take a critical look at EFL team pitching staffs (staves?) as they are currently constituted. Knowing full well that two huge drafts are coming up in the next two months, we aim to advise, cajole, and otherwise persuade EFL owners into taking specific actions during those drafts.
The emphasis in that last paragraph was all about “humbly.” We make no claim to expertise in this area. We are aware that our team’s performance has been lacking in certain qualities, such as winning. But we still have opinions, and you may take them with as many grains of salt as are necessary. In fact, we solicit your corrections to the collection of misinformation, bad attitudes, and pure silliness represented here. That’s what the comment section is for.
Today we’ll cover Old Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Flint Hill. We’ll save the rest for future episodes. But don’t hold back your comments – you type them in at the bottom of this page, in case you were wondering.
Old Detroit Wolverines: The OD team is famous for great pitching. In fact this writer recalls a conversation, not too many months ago, in which the OD GM outlined his plans for his pitching staff for the then-current year and several years into the future. Listeners were awed by the depth of his insight and the completeness of his plan. Some even took notes. (“Try and find pitchers whose last names all start with ‘M'”.)
Then, inexplicably, most of the Wolverine staff was dismantled, piece by piece, in the course of the 2014 season. Only two are left: Miley and Moore. This unforeseen breakup may have had something to do with the severe epidemic of TJ surgeries that plagued MLB last spring and summer; it seemed to hit Old Detroit pretty hard.
M-words that describe the two remaining M-pitchers are mediocre (Miley) and may or may not pitch (Moore). Of course both have had their moments of brilliance, but we can’t count on either of them as mainstays of Wolverine dominance for 2015.
Perhaps O.D. is moving to a new letter this year: K. If so, they’ve made a fantastic start with Corey Kluber, the AL Cy Young award winner who would be the ace of any staff not including that other K guy, Kershaw. OD’s new strategy letter was revealed to us when they added Tom Koehler at the recent Rule 5 draft. Let’s hope (for the Wolverines’ sake) that Koehler has more in common with Kluber than a single initial. There’s no certainty in that alliteration.
Perhaps the Wolverines have a more solid foundation for hope in Danny Salazar, the young Cleveland fireballer drafted by OD in the first round last year. His 2014 was not as good as hoped, but it was not a total loss, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see significant improvement from Salazar this year.
The W’s somehow ended up with the well-traveled (in the EFL) Francisco Liriano, with a contract matching Kluber’s. I’m here to tell you that Kluber’s contract is a better bargain. Liriano has had an up-and-down career, to put it mildly, and is no guarantee of success. Neither is Jarrod Parker, who (like Moore) is returning from an injury.
About the only guaranteed quality pitcher on the Wolverine staff, other than Kluber, is Jacob Turner. Unfortunately for Old Detroit fans Turner’s quality is BAD. We know this, from personal experience.
To sum up: OD will need to draft (or acquire by trade; Wolverines management is known for trades) two or three more quality starters this year, or have a great run of luck, to dominate the EFL pitching stats as they have in the past.
Or perhaps they know something I don’t. Hmmm…
Pittsburgh Alleghenys: You would expect a team that finished as far ahead of the rest of us as Pittsburgh did to have an outstanding pitching staff, and the Alleghenys do not disappoint in this regard. They were the best in the league in ERA last year, and since that is the only pitching stat that counts in our game, we won’t discuss it any further.
It doesn’t look too hopeful for the rest of us: the Alleghenys go in to 2015 with the best staff in the league. Strasburg, Hamels, Iwakuma: all proven studs, guys you can count on, week after week. Worley, who came on strong last year (out of nowhere!) and pitched great for the Pirates, of all teams. And Shelby Miller, one of the famous M’s stolen from the Wolverines in a trade that almost won the award as Most One-Sided.
Not to mention (but alas, we must) the bullpen: the incredible Dellin Betances, and Jake McGee, who was almost as good. The Alleghenys can rest on their laurels in 2015 – they don’t need to acquire any more pitching. Please.
Flint Hill Tornadoes: This team is thin on pitching. No doubt about it. But what they lack in quantity they make up in quality. And youth!
The FH staff is led by Tyson Ross, who has the advantage of starting half of his games in Petco Park, that well-known pitcher haven. He is a terrific guy to have on your team, and Tornadoes management is well-justified in their refusal to trade him. Rookie Jesse Hahn was stolen in a trade, and we wept a little as we erased him from the free agent draft listings earlier this week.
Always ready to pounce on a good opportunity, the Tornadoes snatched Drew Hutchison from under the Cheese’s nose (if Cheeses have noses) recently after Cottage failed in their attempt to do the same thing. Hutch is destined for greatness and the Cheese should never have let him go.
So that’s a good start – three young, promising starters will lead the Tornadoes this year. FH just has to acquire a couple more somehow, and the upcoming drafts should supply ample opportunity.
Next up: Peshastin, Kaline, and Haviland. Stay tuned!
Nice article, Dave. There indeed was a time when I thought I might assemble the most euphonious pitching staff ever: Bailey, Beachy, Bundy, Miley, Miller, Milone, Minor and Moore.
I could never get my hands on Bundy. I had Holland and Parker instead, and they broke up the meter. And then it all came apart last spring with injuries to Beachy, Holland, Miller, Minor, Moore and Parker. Miller and Minor got over their injuries within a few weeks, but the rest had major surgeries and were out for anywhere from 4 months to more than a year. And, of course, Bailey went down with an injury late in the season. So we limped to second place behind Kluber, Liriano and Salazar, mostly.
But it turns I do know somethings you don’t — I still have Bailey, and he has a good chance of being ready for opening day! And Jacob Turner is the next Randy Johnson, only shorter! And Tom Koehler’s FIP was as good as his ERA last season, so he has a good chance of an ERA under 4.00!
You know, I completely missed Bailey on your staff, because whoever stuck that Wolverine on your roster page caused the top person on the list to be isolated at the top, out of sight range. I agree, OD’s staff is better than I said, because of Bailey.