O'Flaherty down, Dickey up

[Sweezo]

So the M's have shipped O'Flaherty off to AA West Tennessee and recalled R.A. Dickey. Figures...O'Flaherty probably needs to work out some kinks, and it was pretty clear when McLaren left O'Flaherty in the game to die yesterday and throw around 50 pitches that the M's weren't planning on actually using him any time soon.

So now we have just one lefty in the pen. What's next? Is Rhodes ready? Or can this organization be a little more creative?

[Bow2Yao11]

I'm still wondering why McLaren put O'Flaherty out there in the first place yesterday and why he pitched for almost 3 innings is beyond me. McLaren should've put Corcoran after Baek but does that 3 innings later.

Good move, it had to be done.

I want to see Dickey's dancing knuckleball in action.

[Sweezo]

When he entered the game, O'Flaherty looked just fine...are you upset with the results because he didn't simply strike everyone out? He pitched, allowed contact, and should have made it out of the inning fairly easily. If Morse doesn't turn over the wrong shoulder and back-peddle on the flyball by Kendrick, it's an easy play. If Ibanez doesn't get a late break and stutter step on the flyball by Kotchman, it's an easy play. Way to go...

I think this move makes no sense whatsoever. You just traded a lefty reliever for...another right-handed long reliever. They were fairly lucky to get Dickey to AAA and now they've created a situation where either Baek or Dickey is likely exposed on waivers sooner rather than later.

[Bow2Yao11]

When he entered the game, O'Flaherty looked just fine...are you upset with the results because he didn't simply strike everyone out? He pitched, allowed contact, and should have made it out of the inning fairly easily. If Morse doesn't turn over the wrong shoulder and back-peddle on the flyball by Kendrick, it's an easy play. If Ibanez doesn't get a late break and stutter step on the flyball by Kotchman, it's an easy play. Way to go...

I think this move makes no sense whatsoever. You just traded a lefty reliever for...another right-handed long reliever. They were fairly lucky to get Dickey to AAA and now they've created a situation where either Baek or Dickey is likely exposed on waivers sooner rather than later.

Well, he basically cost us the ballgame. He allowed more hits than the starter and more than half of the runs the Angels scored were on him. Yes there were a couple of fly balls that should've been caught but O'Fla is the one pitching them out there. There were better options out of the pen (RRS, Green, Corco) rather than using O'Fla who is struggling mightily. McLaren just has too much confidence in him, but obviously has seen enough.

Not only did we call up Dickey, we also called up Rhodes as well.

[Sweezo]

So Rhodes is a better option? Arthur Rhodes? When was the last time he was an effective pitcher? O'Flaherty's struggled for three games...Rhodes has struggled for three years.

The game did get out of reach when O'Flaherty was out there...because his stupid manager left him out there to die. He threw 60 pitches. You don't do that kind of stuff to guys whose role is to pitch one inning and then take a seat.

Blame the manager for letting O'Flaherty stay out there and going getting pounded.

I don't think McLaren had any confidence in O'Flaherty given how quickly he was yanked from the primary left-hander role in the pen.

[Bow2Yao11]

So Rhodes is a better option? Arthur Rhodes? When was the last time he was an effective pitcher? O'Flaherty's struggled for three games...Rhodes has struggled for three years.

The game did get out of reach when O'Flaherty was out there...because his stupid manager left him out there to die. He threw 60 pitches. You don't do that kind of stuff to guys whose role is to pitch one inning and then take a seat.

Blame the manager for letting O'Flaherty stay out there and going getting pounded.

I don't think McLaren had any confidence in O'Flaherty given how quickly he was yanked from the primary left-hander role in the pen.

I also don't think Rhodes is any better than O'Fla but with the way he is struggling, he needed his confidence instilled in him again.

Why couldn't he put in RRS if he needed a lefty reliever?

Yes, McLaren left him out there way too long.

[Sweezo]

I have no idea why he didn't use RRS...I really don't, and I fully support using the guy. Given O'Flaherty's problems, I don't know why you just throw him in a stressful situation where he either succeeds and sticks with the team or fails and gets booted...that's a ridiculous, and unneeded, position in which to put your players.

Perhaps it's the same thing Hargrove used to be guilty of (but seemed to shy away from last year) where you save certain relievers for hypothetical situations in games instead of using them in earlier situations that require a successful performance in order to even get to that later spot in the game to use your closer/set-up man...

w/r/t to O'Flaherty's confidence...I don't think shuttling him off to AA or AAA after being clobbered and basically blamed for a loss will really help the guy, as opposed to allowing him to pitch in situations where the game is on the line and working in the bullpen with Stottlemyre. O'Flaherty can go down to the minors, be wild as hell and throw slider/slider/slider against batters who are still adjusting to hitting pitches with that kind of movement, and he can put up good numbers that don't mean a whole lot.

Really, I think this whole situation has been botched, and it reeks of a manager and a GM who really aren't on the same page. Bavasi gave McLaren a new pen...he needs to use it correctly and not be so goddamned reliant on veterans he's familiar with. When one of your core guys is struggling you don't give up on him and hand the ball to Rick White or Arthur Rhodes...it just makes no sense to me.

[Basketball Jesus]

Remember when I said I didn't feel confident in the pen and that we were about one injury away from seeing the mass influx of crappy veteran relievers? The time is nigh, my friends. The time is nigh.