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Originally Posted by jd1020
When have I ever touted Hendricks? The most I have ever done is post his numbers. I've never been a true believer in Hendricks because pitchers like him who don't have a plus pitch and below average velocity walk a very fine line. Hendricks crossed that line when he started throwing his reach back and sling it fastball 5-6 mphs slower than last year which ruins his bread and butter change up.
I care less about a pitchers WAR than I do their ERA and WHIP and there's nothing jaw dropping about Quintana. If he wasn't left handed he would just be a fish in a pond full of fish.
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When you were arguing with Hamas.
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Kyle Hendricks came back down to earth yet he holds a career ERA of just over 3 with a career WHIP of just over 1. And out dueled Clayton Kershaw in the deciding NLCS game and shouldn't have been taken out in game 7 of the WS as early as he was. His BABIP is literally just .009 points higher this year.
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How's that not making a stand in favor of Hendricks? Citing his career numbers and taking down Kershaw in an argument where Hamas is calling him a one-off is pretty clearly 'touting' Hendricks. Otherwise wouldn't you have just been better served saying "oh, yeah....you're right, Hendricks DID have a career year and shouldn't have been counted on..."?
What the hell was the point in 'rebutting' Hamas if it wasn't defending Hendricks?
And if Quintana wasn't lefthanded he wouldn't be as good...um...so? The being lefthanded thing absolutely matters in a league that's predominantly righthanded. Christ, if Lester wasn't lefthanded he'd just be some POS soft-tosser who can't throw over to 1b. Lester and Quintana are peas in a pod. Going forward I'd FAR prefer Quintana to Lester, in fact. The fact remains that he IS lefthanded and that makes him a difficult matchup for many hitters that just aren't used to dealing with lefties.
The value in WAR isn't in October, I'll grant you. Like I said - Quintana is not the kind of arm I prefer in the postseason. But high WAR for SPs is absolutely valueable because it speaks to reliability. And if you ever want to know the value of reliability, look at the championship you guys finally got after your whole damn starting staff was a model of durability and faced an Indians staff that was in absolute tatters.
You're underselling a good pitcher because he isn't Sale and he doesn't have the 'sexy' arsenal of a guy like Archer. Quintana has a lot of things to like. I'm not sure it's a deal I'd have made but I understand why Theo did. I think they gave up way WAY more ceiling than they got back, but they also got a hell of a lot more floor for a couple of guys that haven't taken a swing in AA yet (and a couple more throw-ins). For a defending champion with a roster full of 24-26 yr old starters, that's exactly the kind of move you're willing to make.