Santoki wrote:Remember when last year we went into the season thinking that guys like Hutch, Norris, and Sanchez could stick in the rotation? Remember when we had to go through the long list of AAAA fodder highlighted by the appearances of Chien Ming Wang and Ramon Ortiz in 2013?
Why anyone would want to go back to those days is puzzling. You can make the playoffs without an ace. You can't make the playoffs trotting out crap like that 3 out of every 5 nights.
Also, the definition of mid-rotation and #4-#5s needs to be better understood. Take a look through MLB and see who everyone slots in their 4-5 positions in the rotation.
We were a terrible team for 3 straight years precisely because we had no depth. Starting pitching depth is what gives you the best chance to win. Not an ace with terrible pitchers 3-5. And when you look at how those teams with aces acquired those guys very few of them are over 30 and free agents. You develop them internally like hopefully what's happening with Marcus Stroman and what we're seeing in a guy like Noah Syndergaard. That's how you create sustainability when faced with corporate owners whose only focus is on the next quarterly report.
Fair enough, but on the spectrum from Price to Hutch, guys like Happ and Estrada have career numbers that put them on the Hutch side. If they continue to pitch like they did last year, we should be in a good place, but nothing's going to soften the blow of losing a guy like Price. Of course, Stroman is a bit of a wildcard, and could potentially be that homegrown ace we need.
