Quote:
Originally Posted by CoMoChief
That's a dogshit pitching lineup
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Anibal Sanchez is a legitimate No. 2 starter who is coming off strong back-to-back years. He hasn't pitched that well in Detroit (though part of that is bad luck - BABIP is abnormally high and has no real indicators. Bad D has hurt him, too).
He's still young (will be 29 at the start of next season), he has great stuff (strikeout pitcher who can win tough matchups against other star pitchers), and he has been very durable since TJ surgery back in 2007.
If you can't sign a legitimate No. 1 starter, Sanchez is probably as close as you can get in this market. At this point, the only true No. 1 really left is Greinke, and Sanchez has been better than Zack two of the past three seasons...
Guthrie wants to be in KC and has performed well here. Bringing him back for two years won't be unbelievably expensive, and his performance in a big park is encouraging. He's nibbling less and throwing more strikes, and the decreased base runners are making him a much more effective starter. This is a guy who survived several years in the AL East in a hitter's park, with good numbers despite it. Pitching most of his games in a more neutral park is only going to be a positive. He was a solid No. 3 for the O's.
Millwood isn't flashy, but he's better than the alternative (Will Smith? Hochevar? Mendoza?) and is a veteran pitcher who could add a nice bit of toughness and leadership to this rotation. Moore has an existing relationship with him, and the best part is that he has been pretty effective this season. He would be a relatively cheap, one-year stop gap. I'm not set on him or anything, but I like him better than some of the other, similar options.
I would like to see Odorizzi in the rotation out of spring training. He actually looks to have improved his curve quite a bit this year. He needs to build his stamina, but I think he's the best option at that spot.
And Chen is going to be there, because he's under contract. Slot him as the No. 5 pitcher, limit his innings a little more tightly, and I think you see a guy a little closer to what he was in 10 and 11 rather than this season.
It's not the Tigers' rotation, but it's much less "dogshit" than what was trotted out this season. It would give the Royals a much better chance to compete, and - perhaps most important - would eat a lot more innings. Sanchez/Guthrie/Millwood will probably give you a combined 650 IP, keeping the bullpen fresh and deadly.
Signing Sanchez long-term (4-5 years) would also help with future setups. 2014 rotation would contain:
Sanchez
Guthrie (final year of contract)
Duffy
Paulino
Odorizzi
And you'd have competition/depth still from John Lamb, Mendoza, Smith, and the rest of the swingman crew to cover the TJ guys. It's also possible Kyle Zimmer could force his way into that discussion if he has a really strong 2013.