Will he ever start in the major leagues?

Perhaps. In the meantime, how about we applaud his recent outings. The guys has looked fantastic. I don't know if Neal has a future in this league as a starter, or if that would be on the Southside, but if that is what he wants to do, he's going to have to spend some time down in the minors getting streched out and working on another pitch.

Will he ever start in the major leagues?

He has the ability to, but right now I think he's found his role with the White Sox in the bullpen. Ozzie is gaining confidence in him with every outing and with Marte out he seems to be joining Politte as the set up guy in the 8th inning.

 

As a big Cotts backer I'm glad to see him coming through now and just want to see him continually improve his control as well as his offspeed pitches. He's made great stride in both areas as of late and its a big reason why he's starting to take off.

 

Once Marte is back and if Cotts continues doing what he's doing, the Sox pen looks a whole lot better.

I think Neal should continue to relieve untill the end of the year and if he likes realiving he could keep doing that. If he wants to start then he needs another pitch and needs to work on throwing alot of pitches. Remeber he hasent started a gamee for 2 years so he has probaly lost alot of staminia.

He wont need to if he stays with the sox. We have better arms for starting in the minors than he does. I think he will be in the pen for several more years until someone other than the sox moves him out and he is a converted starter for his later years. I see him as a schoenweis type of guy.

How many left handed arms are there in people's bullpens who can get people out and have years ahead of them? A few, but not enough to satiate an entire league.

 

Cotts can build a career in a relief role (and make himself a decent paycheck), especially if he keeps being as good as he has this year. People will pay a lot to fill that left-handed setup role...you just can't win without it. You need a guy who pitches from the left side, otherwise your pen isn't full.

 

A quality left handed reliever is more valuable than an average left-handed starter.

I don't want to see the Sox ever try to make Cotts into a starter. A big reason why a lot of guys have more success in the bullpen than in the starting rotation is because they can get away without having a lot of pitches in their arsenal. Cotts has a fastball and slider right now, that's all. That's fine when you're in the pen, but as a starter, it could equate to problems. Also, Cotts will likely never have great control. For those games in which Cotts can't find the plate, it's a lot easier to pull him after two batters when he's in the pen than it is to have to pull your starter in the 3rd inning.

he throws a changeup

Hopefully not, he is doing just fine in relief. He looked great last night.

I think for now he should remain in the pen... Maybe in a year or so he could start again. After all he was like the most hyped minor leaguer in our organization for a starting pitcher for a while...

Well we know that there likely will be a need for a new fifth starter, and BMac struggling, don't you think Neal Cotts might be able to return to a starter's role? He's sure earned a shot in my book. My only concern is does he have enough pitches?

 

Well we know that there likely will be a need for a new fifth starter, and BMac struggling, don't you think Neal Cotts might be able to return to a starter's role? He's sure earned a shot in my book. My only concern is does he have enough pitches?

 

He's having success as our main set-up lefty guy, don't mess with his head, leave him in his spot.

Even if you wanted to have him start he isn't nearly stretched out enough to go 5 innings.

He finally has the confidence now to become a dependalbe reliever. We should not mess with where we put him. Just leave him there.

He finally has the confidence now to become a dependalbe reliever. We should not mess with where we put him. Just leave him there.

Agreed

If Cotts is turned into a starter this season, then things will have gone right into the crapper. He may become a starter eventually, but it would have be by design and accomplished over winter league and spring training.

If it aint(and yes i did spell aint right for once) broke don't fix it. Neal is fine, so we should just let him do his thing.

I don't want to see the Sox ever try to make Cotts into a starter.  A big reason why a lot of guys have more success in the bullpen than in the starting rotation is because they can get away without having a lot of pitches in their arsenal.  Cotts has a fastball and slider right now, that's all.  That's fine when you're in the pen, but as a starter, it could equate to problems.  Also, Cotts will likely never have great control.  For those games in which Cotts can't find the plate, it's a lot easier to pull him after two batters when he's in the pen than it is to have to pull your starter in the 3rd inning.

 

 

Cotts doesn't throw a slider.

 

He throws a fastball, curve and change. He doesn't need to feature the change because his fastball and curveball are dominating right now.

 

I'd like to see him cut his fastball. With that, he'd be a starter. he definitely has the arm. In the future, he projects as a 3 imo, and always has.

Edited June 16, 200520 yr by TaylorStSox

If it aint(and yes i did spell aint right for once) broke don't fix it. Neal is fine, so we should just let him do his thing.

Ain't isn't even a word. How could you spell it correctly?

Ain't isn't even a word. How could you spell it correctly?

Actually, I'm pretty sure it is a word.

Actually, I'm pretty sure it is a word.

 

Usage Note: Ain't has a long history of controversy. It first appeared in 1778, evolving from an earlier an't, which arose almost a century earlier as a contraction of are not and am not. In fact, ain't arose at the tail end of an era that saw the introduction of a number of our most common contractions, including don't and won't. But while don't and won't eventually became accepted at all levels of speech and writing, ain't was to receive a barrage of criticism in the 19th century for having no set sequence of words from which it can be contracted and for being a “vulgarism,” that is, a term used by the lower classes, although an't at least had been originally used by the upper classes as well. At the same time ain't's uses were multiplying to include has not, have not, and is not, by influence of forms like ha'n't and i'n't. It may be that these extended uses helped fuel the negative reaction. Whatever the case, criticism of ain't by usage commentators and teachers has not subsided, and the use of ain't is often regarded as a sign of ignorance. ·But despite all the attempts to ban it, ain't continues to enjoy extensive use in speech. Even educated and upper-class speakers see no substitute in folksy expressions such as Say it ain't so and You ain't seen nothin' yet. ·The stigmatization of ain't leaves us with no happy alternative for use in first-person questions. The widely used aren't I? though illogical, was found acceptable for use in speech by a majority of the Usage Panel in an earlier survey, but in writing there is no acceptable substitute for the stilted am I not?

Actually, I'm pretty sure it is a word.

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I'm loving it. He's out there and is just pitching quick. I got a man crush for Cottsy

Pitching 
Year Team   G  GS W L SV CG SHO IP   H R ER HR BB  K  ERA WHIP  BAA   
 2005 CWS   25  0 1 0  0  0  0 25.2 14 7  6  0 11 28 2.10 0.97 .157  

 

 

IP vs. hits are amazing for Cotts, as well as the 1+ K/IP. WHIP of less than 1....and ZERO HRs allowed.

 

 

My only concern is does he have enough pitches?

 

Does Johan Santana? Just throw good strikes, baby.