To be fair, Kenny only talked about the start of the season. Bruce Levine said June. You might only need a fifth starter a few times in April.

Even if we're just talking start of the season, that doesn't seem totally out of character to anyone else?

I think Sale has more potential than Danks as a starter. It's not like Danks is a 7 innings per game guy either.

I agree with all this stuff: http://projectprospect.com/article/2010/05...scouting-report

 

The only part I really disagree with is this:

Conclusion

 

Chris Sale is an extremely productive left-handed pitcher with advanced control and good stuff. He can crank his fastball up into the mid-90’s with outstanding movement and his change has a chance to be a very good pitch. He has a chance to rack up high strikeout totals, low walk rates and good ground ball rates. If he reaches his upside, he’s a very valuable player. But Sale’s mechanics put him at a very high level of injury risk. If you believe that a pitching motion can contribute to injuries, it’s likely that Sale’s will. He appears unlikely to be able to handle a consistent starter’s workload. His long-term home appears to be in the bullpen. I’d have a hard time taking a closer in round one.

 

These guys obviously watched him as a starter and had no idea what he was capable of out of the pen. Knowing what they know now, I imagine they'd have no problem taking this kind of closer in the first round.

 

BTW Danks is becoming severely underrated on this forum, and a lot of Danks' potential and Sale's potential are locked up in questions of durability and mechanics. Both have high ceilings as starters, but Danks is the safer bet. And I just happen to think that even more than that, with durability and mechanics aside, Danks still has a higher ceiling out of the rotation than Sale does because of his delivery and because we already know what Danks can do, and saying Sale should be able to do more is kind of pie-in-the-sky IMO.

BTW Danks is becoming severely underrated on this forum, and a lot of Danks' potential and Sale's potential are locked up in questions of durability and mechanics. Both have high ceilings as starters, but Danks is the safer bet. And I just happen to think that even more than that, with durability and mechanics aside, Danks still has a higher ceiling out of the rotation than Sale does because of his delivery and because we already know what Danks can do, and saying Sale should be able to do more is kind of pie-in-the-sky IMO.

Really, I don't believe that Danks is a durability concern at all, and the only way he's a mechanics concern is if you want to say that his occasional bad start that he just can't endure is caused by inconsistent mechanics.

Really, I don't believe that Danks is a durability concern at all, and the only way he's a mechanics concern is if you want to say that his occasional bad start that he just can't endure is caused by inconsistent mechanics.

I agree with you, and that's a big reason why it's hard to say Sale will be better than Danks at all as a starter. I really think Danks is under appreciated here for whatever reason.

If June really is true, Garcia will be back, and it will happen soon, I bet.

I'd rather grab Garland. I have much more faith in him being the innings eater we'd need. That said, the money might not be right as someone could pay hefty given what he did last year (which was inflated, imo).

I don't see how one extra season of Sale in the bullpen at age 22 would sacrifice his entire career? You have the guy under your control for a good amount of time, he doesn't have to start right now. If he pitches 200 innings this year, will that help his career? I don't want him to be a reliever his entire career, but the move does not need to be made today.

 

The chances are a LOT higher that he will be a reliever the rest of his career since he will probably succeed as a reliever. I mean, how many successful relievers turn back into starters? Usually they just turn back into starters after they show they can't be a good relief pitchers. I feel Sale will be a good reliever and be stuck in that role before he ever gets the chance to become a good starter first, and have a long enough leash that they aren't quick to say "Ok, not working, back to the 'pen for you".

So no one reads a statement from KW that Peavy will be on the DL as KW actually saying "Peavy's going to win 6 games for me in April and I'm going to rake someone over the coals for one of my pitchers"?

 

 

Don Cooper is on record as saying that he would prefer Sale to pitch out of the bullpen this year and to slowly begin to stretch his arm out.

 

Honestly, I don't care either way. The Sox could throw him in the bullpen for this year, or they could have him starting in AAA (on the Aroldis plan) and I could care less.

If Peavy begins the season on the DL or is out to, gulp, June ... we may need Sale as a starter.

 

Danks opening day

Jackson

Mark

Floyd

Sale

that should be our rotation.

If Peavy begins the season on the DL or is out to, gulp, June ... we may need Sale as a starter.

 

Danks opening day

Jackson

Mark

Floyd

Sale

that should be our rotation.

Flop Jackson and Floyd and you've got a better setup.

Sale, for his part, feels he's goint to be ready for the rotation.

 

If Peavy begins the season on the DL or is out to, gulp, June ... we may need Sale as a starter.

 

Danks opening day

Jackson

Mark

Floyd

Sale

that should be our rotation.

 

MB has the opening day start as long as he's here.

Sale, for his part, feels he's goint to be ready for the rotation.

 

Good for him. Keep fighting to stay there.