Report: McGowan Could Be Ready for Opening Day

kdizzle · Post #1 » by **kdizzle** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 5:26 pm

McGowan, who has tagged his fitness level at "somewhere around 85 percent," will be going to Dunedin early for spring training, and said he wants to prove that he's ready to start the 2010 season in the starting rotation.

MGD24 · Post #2 » by **MGD24** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 5:42 pm

YES YES YES!

i hope he makes it...i still have high hopes for him...he was one of my fav jays before he got hurt

kelso · Post #3 » by **kelso** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 6:02 pm

this is awesome news if he can be ready. IMO, Dustin is the fantasy baseball equivalent of a high-impact deep sleeper. Worst case, everyone is working harder in spring training for a spot and you have another injury fill-in option because injuries will happen.

MGD24 · Post #4 » by **MGD24** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 6:11 pm

if McGowan can return to the form he once had...he could be the ace of the staff.

Post #5 » by **Schad** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 6:12 pm

I still have serious doubts that he'll be able to rebound and start effectively, but if he can crank it to 91 he can still be a useful bullpen arm.

Hoopstarr · Post #6 » by **Hoopstarr** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 6:20 pm

This is based on what Dustin himself is saying so keep that in mind. I'll believe it when I see it but I'm rooting for him. He's still only 27.

MGD24 · Post #7 » by **MGD24** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 6:31 pm

It will happen.

Said by me, January 05, 2010.

Tdot-Ital · Post #8 » by **Tdot-Ital** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 6:35 pm

nice, the jays should have a sweet pitching staff in the coming years. Things don't look too bad now!

SharoneWright · Post #9 » by **SharoneWright** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 6:45 pm

I also have serious doubts. Whatever the Jays do, they should take it VERY slowly with him. I'd rather wait an entire extra year and let him build up his arm strength slowly than have him push too hard too soon. Kid was starting to show real flashes (a personal favourite of mine), but as we are in rebuild mode, I'd err on the extreme side of caution. Still, this news has to be encouraging...

Post #10 » by **OldNo7** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 7:34 pm

We have to be realistic. If he doesnt have his wicked sideburns, he just will not be as effective as he once was. Its sad, but its true. We need to be prepared for the possibility that he is clean shaven.

satyr9 · Post #11 » by **satyr9** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 8:19 pm

It'd be a pretty nice surprise if Marcum and McGowan both came back healthy and effective. I'm thinking that's unlikely, but I guess stranger things can happen.

Now, just imagine everything goes right this year except Doc is in Philly, how absolutely infuriating would that be? Not that it's relevant to the discussion or anything. I just think I'm going to be Roy nostalgic for the whole year no matter what.

Michael Bradley · Post #12 » by **Michael Bradley** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 8:24 pm

McGowan's had both elbow and shoulder surgery over the last few years. It would be pretty darn hard to get back the kind of velocity he had prior to that (especially after his latest surgery). Then again Carpenter had the same injuries and returned to form so I guess it's not completely unrealistic. Just very highly unlikely.

Post #13 » by **YogiStewart** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 8:35 pm

OldNo7 wrote:We have to be realistic. If he doesnt have his wicked sideburns, he just will not be as effective as he once was. Its sad, but its true. We need to be prepared for the possibility that he is clean shaven.

just like your mom.
that's right. a mom joke. on the Jays' board.

satyr9 wrote:It'd be a pretty nice surprise if Marcum and McGowan both came back healthy and effective. I'm thinking that's unlikely, but I guess stranger things can happen.

Now, just imagine everything goes right this year except Doc is in Philly, how absolutely infuriating would that be? Not that it's relevant to the discussion or anything. I just think I'm going to be Roy nostalgic for the whole year no matter what.

you have to be very realistic about this year's team. in all likelihood, the Jays are last place in the division. so many ungreat players. Mr Fireworks at third, Vernon LameDog Wells in centrefield, an unknown as the DH (assuming Lind isn't DHing), a questionmark at SS, duds as catchers and the possibility of a rookie or a crappy fielding player at 1st base. and i didn't even touch on the pitching staff.

so many stars have to align for this team to go somewhere. you need 3 damn good starters and one hell of a closer to even think this team will be above .500

satyr9 · Post #14 » by **satyr9** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 8:44 pm

YogiStewart wrote:you have to be very realistic about this year's team. in all likelihood, the Jays are last place in the division. so many ungreat players. Mr Fireworks at third, Vernon LameDog Wells in centrefield, an unknown as the DH (assuming Lind isn't DHing), a questionmark at SS, duds as catchers and the possibility of a rookie or a crappy fielding player at 1st base. and i didn't even touch on the pitching staff.

so many stars have to align for this team to go somewhere. you need 3 damn good starters and one hell of a closer to even think this team will be above .500

Don't worry, I'm not expecting anything. I just mentioned it 'cause it would be just like the Jays to pull everything together so that a year with Doc would've had them contending because everyone else stepped up, but he's gone so they get to 85-88 wins without him. I'd put the chances of that at easily less than 5%, but still it'd almost be worse than 100 loss type year.

As for the sideburns, I'm guessing they were the reason he got injured so much. One side grew faster, and he didn't trim properly, which lead to a slight balance issue that wrecked his whole career. Maybe now we'll get 8 healthy years of a mediocre McGowan with no 'burns.

SharoneWright · Post #15 » by **SharoneWright** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 9:26 pm

satyr9 wrote: Maybe now we'll get 8 healthy years of a mediocre McGowan with no 'burns.

Only if Burns is managing:

jalenrose#5 · Post #16 » by **jalenrose#5** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 11:23 pm

Dustin if he comes back to where he was pre injury would be an amazing addition to the staff and would probably either be the #1 or #2 this year. Granted he'll probably not have the same velocity, the man can still pitch. If he does somehow still have the velocity and with the absolute possibility he could be converted into a Papelbon like closer, that's another avenue the Jays should look at.

Marcum, McGowan, Romero, Morrow, Cecil/Zep (if healthy, it's one of the better YOUNG rotations in the league, not trying to be a homer neither).

Not to mention guys like Drabek, Stewart, Alvarez, and possibly Chapman coming soon, it only bodes well. The Jays could afford to trade one of their high end pitchers for a left side infielder at 3B or SS.

kelso · Post #17 » by **kelso** » Tue Jan 5, 2010 11:32 pm

If McGowan is good to go, I would be taking one or more of Litch, Cecil, Purcey, Jansen and moving them for a legit SS or 3B major-league ready prospect, which shouldnt be difficult based on the need for pitching (especially cost-effective pitching) out there.

LieCheatSteal · Post #18 » by **LieCheatSteal** » Wed Jan 6, 2010 12:07 am

I don't see the Jays rushing McGowan, Litsch or even Marcum back at all. If anything, I can see them actually holding them back until the allstar break (and, with Litsch, even beyond this). The Jays are probably going to see what they have with a rotation of Romero, Richmond, Cecil and Morrow and Rzep (in this order) starting the season with the prospect of the 3 aforementioned ones returning hanging over their heads. It will be survival of the fittest here.

Personally, I don't see McGowan coming back until September.

LBJSeizedMyID · Post #19 » by **LBJSeizedMyID** » Wed Jan 6, 2010 6:49 pm

If the Jays are smart they start the year (assuming he REALLY is healthy) as a reliever, and let him build up his arm strength, then slowly transition him back to a starter. Jays are in no hurry, and need to play this one right.

Modern_epic · Post #20 » by **Modern_epic** » Wed Jan 6, 2010 9:14 pm

LBJSeizedMyID wrote:If the Jays are smart they start the year (assuming he REALLY is healthy) as a reliever, and let him build up his arm strength, then slowly transition him back to a starter. Jays are in no hurry, and need to play this one right.

I really suspect that after two surgeries, this is all Dustin will ever be. He could be a light out one, though.