Kind of surprised the Sox would declare this so early. Just in the sense of..what's the benefit, really? I guess to light a fire under AR, see what happens?

Edited February 19, 201412 yr by Jose Paniagua

In the sense that Paulino is a better pitcher than Rienzo, plus he's on a major league contract, so there's no need to deny it.

This was my assumption all along.

No surprise here. I will keep throwin this out there until people start to realize that Paulino has the chance to be a really good starter.... Sans 1 bad start, he has a 3.40 era over his last 153 innings as a starter.

 

If he stays healthy it wouldn't surprise me one bit if he puts up #3 type numbers.

 

 

He, not the draft pick, not the money, not the commitment, or not because Ervin Santana is a bit shakey, is the main reason I would avoid Ervin.

Edited February 19, 201412 yr by scs787

Is there any chance that Rienzo could make it as our long man?

Edited February 19, 201412 yr by Señor Ding-Dong

Is there any chance that Rienzo could make it as our long man?

 

It's possible. I don't know what the Knights rotation will looks like but if there's a spot for him, I prefer to see him there. He was a boss his last 9 starts there and I prefer he stays stretched out and ready should an injury happen.

Whomever the Sox feel is their 6th starter should be at Charlotte pitching every 5th day. I don't care if it is Rienzo, Surkamp, Axelrod, or whoever, they need to be on a schedule to pitch every 5th day.

So Paulino is blocking Rienzo. Who would have though that? Seriously though, they should groom Rienzo as a set up guy.

So Paulino is blocking Rienzo. Who would have though that? Seriously though, they should groom Rienzo as a set up guy.

 

What's your point?

So Paulino is blocking Rienzo. Who would have though that? Seriously though, they should groom Rienzo as a set up guy.

 

I think that's his ultimate role and I think he has the stuff to be a good one. Still, I'd keep him in the rotation for now and keep him starting and stretched out.

Edited February 19, 201412 yr by witesoxfan

So Paulino is blocking Rienzo. Who would have though that? Seriously though, they should groom Rienzo as a set up guy.

 

So we should sign ANOTHER pitcher!

So Paulino is blocking Rienzo. Who would have though that? Seriously though, they should groom Rienzo as a set up guy.

 

 

Can you please keep it to one f***ing thread. You are getting all the attention you are craving over there. Some of us want to actually talk about baseball and the team the Sox have now that the spring is starting.

I think that's his ultimate role and I think he has the stuff to be a good one. Still, I'd keep him in the rotation for now and keep him starting and stretched out.

 

I think he can be a starter, but he REALLY needs to work on his command. I would love to see him in AAA learning how to keep the breaking ball down.

Can you please keep it to one f***ing thread. You are getting all the attention you are craving over there. Some of us want to actually talk about baseball and the team the Sox have now that the spring is starting.

 

You sound dead serious.

I think he can be a starter, but he REALLY needs to work on his command. I would love to see him in AAA learning how to keep the breaking ball down.

Rienzo definitely still could benefit from working on stuff. That breaking ball was a really intriguing pitch last year, and supposedly it wasn't even his out pitch in the minors - everyone says his cutter was his out pitch. I like the big sweeping breaking ball he was throwing but it would really, really help if he could learn to change speeds on it - mix in the big breaker with a sharper breaking curve that drops farther out of the zone.

I think he can be a starter, but he REALLY needs to work on his command. I would love to see him in AAA learning how to keep the breaking ball down.

 

I think he could definitely benefit from more seasoning in AAA. I think it would be more worthwhile getting him starts there than as the swing man.

I thought the book on him coming up was that he was a fastball/curveball guy. I didn't really hear about the cutter until Law talked about it.

Law's the one that actually likes Rienzo, right?

Law's the one that actually likes Rienzo, right?

 

Yes, absolutely loved his cutter. He thought his future was out of the bullpen, but he thinks everyone's future is out of the bullpen.

As others have stated, Rienzo should be pitching opening day for Charlotte barring an injury to another member of the rotation. There's no argument to put him in the bullpen as we already have 6 guys that throw right handed and are better suited for the pen.

 

Yep. He needs to tighten up his command. If he does he can be a legitimate option for the rotation. I would also like to see him working on an out pitch to lefties.

As others have stated, Rienzo should be pitching opening day for Charlotte barring an injury to another member of the rotation. There's no argument to put him in the bullpen as we already have 6 guys that throw right handed and are better suited for the pen.

 

Yep. He needs to tighten up his command. If he does he can be a legitimate option for the rotation. I would also like to see him working on an out pitch to lefties.

What's your point?

 

It is lonely under his bridge.

Yep. He needs to tighten up his command. If he does he can be a legitimate option for the rotation. I would also like to see him working on an out pitch to lefties.

 

Yes I agree. He's not going to throw anything by any good hitters though right? Dude needs to refine devastating corner control...until he just feasts on AAA. I hope he forces his way up sometime this year instead of breaking camp with the team because he was the best of a pile of s***.

He was just so homer-able last year. He would look brilliant for a couple innings and then just start tossing up softball pitches chest high. I honestly think he got really lucky on a lot of those hangers. He really easily could have a had a disastrous debut if not for a handful of shanked foul balls that could have been moonshots.

Edited February 20, 201412 yr by Eminor3rd

Colleen Kane ‏@ChiTribKane 1h

 

Andre Rienzo on his place w/ Sox: "If they have a spot in the rotation, I'm glad, or if it's bullpen, closer, batboy" http://bit.ly/1oW7ZdO