Is Gibbons going off the reservation?

dagger · Post #1 » by **dagger** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 3:13 pm

Earlier this week, he implied in media comments that others in the organization were pushing the "Ricky-Romero-is-back-theme" but he wasn't a believer. Today, he's pushing back on Dustin McGowan as a starter.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/446663450714853376[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/446663687361679360[/tweet]

There There · Post #2 » by **There There** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 9:35 pm

It's understandable why Gibby, or anyone else for that matter, would be hesitant about asking McGowan to throw 75-100 pitches every five days.

But is anyone more comfortable asking him to throw 45-60 pitches (if the long relief suggestion is an actual thing) every 3-4 days ?

Or 20-30 pitches every couple of days ?

At what point does anyone feel comfortable that McGowan's body is not a ticking time bomb ?

If McGowan feels confident enough to take the risk of starting again, and he's able to maintain his stuff with the higher pitch counts, then I say give him a shot.

He looked fantastic today... His command was pretty sharp, velocity looked good. I'd guess that Anthopoulos is hell bent on taking 13 pitchers north no matter who gets the fifth spot, so there is some room there to stretch him out slowly during the first month.

As for the Romero comments.... God help this organization if someone on the baseball side actually believed that breaking camp with Romero was even remotely plausible.

Randle McMurphy · Post #3 » by **Randle McMurphy** » Thu Mar 20, 2014 10:03 pm

Off the reservation? Those actually sound like completely reasonable opinions to have about Romero and McGowan. Good to know that at least somebody in the organization holds them.

torontoaces04 · Post #4 » by **torontoaces04** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:04 am

You know things have gotten bad when John Gibbons is viewed as the voice of reason.

baulderdash77 · Post #5 » by **baulderdash77** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:08 am

Who would have thought that Gibbons is the most reasonable guy in the Jays organization.

I think he sounds very logical here with both of those things. The Jays FO is seriously grasping at straws for that 5th starter and they're willing to run out just about anyone who has a chance to be just ok.

Lateral Quicks · Post #6 » by **Lateral Quicks** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 4:59 pm

I say stretch McGowan out. He wants to do it, and we have plenty of quality pen arms already. McGowan would be far more valuable in the rotation than in the pen.

The upside is high, though unlikely, and the downside is very limited. It's worth a shot.

Raps_Swingman · Post #7 » by **Raps_Swingman** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:39 pm

Lateral Quicks wrote:I say stretch McGowan out. He wants to do it, and we have plenty of quality pen arms already. McGowan would be far more valuable in the rotation than in the pen.

The upside is high, though unlikely, and the downside is very limited. It's worth a shot.

Wilner has an article on sportsnet.ca talking about McGowan being the 5th starter. Maybe he only throws 75 pitches but most games Happ was gone before 5 innings anyways.

Food for thought, he's got Out pitches that the other guys don't battling for the spot.

MikeM · Post #8 » by **MikeM** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 7:03 pm

I would be up for McGowan starting. Worst case scenario is his arm explodes again and we don't get the chance to use his 40IP a year out of the bullpen. Big deal.

dagger · Post #9 » by **dagger** » Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:04 pm

Randle McMurphy wrote:Off the reservation? Those actually sound like completely reasonable opinions to have about Romero and McGowan. Good to know that at least somebody in the organization holds them.

Off the reservation doesn't mean what he said was wrong, only that it differs from the views of some of the higher ups.

Kevin Willis · Post #10 » by **Kevin Willis** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:23 am

If the fifth starter only does 75 pitches I would rather it be Sanchez than McGowan. Even Strohman.

There There · Post #11 » by **There There** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 5:02 am

Looks like McGowan in the rotation may be a thing after all.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/03/21/blue-jays-dustin-mcgowan-back-in-rotation-mix

I like it... there's obviously significant risk that he blows out his arm again, but... and I hate to sound callous about this, but there's limited downside to trying.

Even coming out of the pen, there is risk... So if he's actually willing to try, I say why not... He's obviously got the best stuff of the bunch currently vying for that spot.

If he's able to hold it down for a couple of months until someone like Stroman is ready, and/or it saves us from doing something stupid in the interim like the rumoured Samardzija deal, then it seems like a no brainer to give it a shot.

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Santoki · Post #12 » by **Santoki** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 12:08 pm

So maybe our theory of having essentially two starters share the 5th spot might actually come true.

Michael Bradley · Post #13 » by **Michael Bradley** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 12:47 pm

I don't have a problem with McGowan starting. He is the one pushing for it and someone with his injury history is probably just as likely to get hurt in relief as he is in the rotation. So might as well try him in a role where the Jays actually have a need. As long as he is OK with it, then I don't see the issue. Even if he is a starter for a few months and then transitions into a long relief role mid-season (getting something like 100 IP out of him in a season, assuming he stays healthy), that would also be beneficial.

youreachiteach · Post #14 » by **youreachiteach** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:53 pm

You could tell he was annoyed...in that article where he virtually accepts he'll be in the pen, he passive aggressively complains about "...not really getting a chance to compete for the position...". It was so obvious that he was trying to toe the line while taking a shot at Gibbons.

If he fails, it was his call, and only he knows if he can handle it or not (unless his production is poor or he hurts afterward).

RapsFanInVA · Post #15 » by **RapsFanInVA** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 8:36 pm

Time to make our annual bet on when McGowan will get hurt again. O/U is 25 IP in regular season.

Randle McMurphy · Post #16 » by **Randle McMurphy** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 9:07 pm

RapsFanInVA wrote:Time to make our annual bet on when McGowan will get hurt again. O/U is 25 IP in regular season.

Going with the under for sure.

Raps_Swingman · Post #17 » by **Raps_Swingman** » Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:37 pm

Gibbons is now saying McGowan has a shot at a rotation spot...

Yosemite Dan · Post #18 » by **Yosemite Dan** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 1:48 am

This team club looks like a nursery more than a ball club. Start Dustin, if he blows his arm out so be it. It's not like he's been doing anything for this team the last few years anyways. They baby almost every pitcher and it never works. If a pitcher is injury prone, no amount of babying is gonna change that.

Santoki · Post #19 » by **Santoki** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:09 am

Yosemite Dan wrote:This team club looks like a nursery more than a ball club. Start Dustin, if he blows his arm out so be it. It's not like he's been doing anything for this team the last few years anyways. They baby almost every pitcher and it never works. If a pitcher is injury prone, no amount of babying is gonna change that.

The organization is permanently scarred because of Chris Carpenter.

Yosemite Dan · Post #20 » by **Yosemite Dan** » Tue Mar 25, 2014 2:13 am

Santoki wrote:
Yosemite Dan wrote:This team club looks like a nursery more than a ball club. Start Dustin, if he blows his arm out so be it. It's not like he's been doing anything for this team the last few years anyways. They baby almost every pitcher and it never works. If a pitcher is injury prone, no amount of babying is gonna change that.

The organization is permanently scarred because of Chris Carpenter.

That's the problem with this team. They keep living in the past with thier ancient contract stance and recycling past managers and presidents.