"His 5.77 ERA was the highest among all qualified starting pitchers. So was his 5.22 BB/9. He had the third lowest WAR (0.5). His 5.14 FIP was third worst. Well, a few reasons. His BABIP, which had been a very low .242 in 2011 jumped up to .311. Numbers are likely to increase when that happens. His first pitch strike percentage dropped four points to 53.3%, nearly seven points lower than league average which can help explain why his already high walk rate spiked to league worst levels. "
James Shields is a comparable pitcher who had a horrible 2010 season and bounced back in 2011 and 2012. We need the same from Ricky.
Honestly, I think Romero should be the opening day starter. GIve him the start as a "we still believe in you, you are our guy" statement.