If a pitcher was needed for the rotation at the major league level, and there wasn't an issue with rest necessitating that certain pitchers couldn't be used, who would be the Sox callup?

 

Rienzo?

Axelrod?

Surkamp?

Beck?

 

Someone else?

 

Discuss.

Depends on who's freshest, but Rienzo makes the most sense for a lot of different reasons.

Edited April 8, 201411 yr by witesoxfan

Rienzo, then Surkamp.

 

No way it should be Axelrod or Doyle.

 

Beck needs at least 3-4 more months, at a minimum. Probably more.

I wish it was Paulino. Or make him 7th. Or 8th.

If they had to call somebody up today, Rienzo would get the call.

 

Maybe a month from now, Axelrod. But it depends on what's going on in the bullpen.

Has to be Rienzo. After that, likely Surkamp, but maybe Axelrod depending on how Surkamp is doing in AAA.

 

Should I take the place of Debbie Downer and say I would rather see some consistent success from the bullpen. Who might be in line to take over relief duties?

Should I take the place of Debbie Downer and say I would rather see some consistent success from the bullpen. Who might be in line to take over relief duties?

(Just to stress again, part of "consistent success" is the word "consistent"...which at some level may well require a team to give guys a chance to work through early season struggles).

Rienzo barring any injury

I wish it was Paulino. Or make him 7th. Or 8th.

 

7th? 8th? you are being generous. Ever since I saw him in spring training I was saying that this guy is a scrub. My feeling is he won the starting job because lets face it. Who do we REALLY have that is not just another "get by-er" type of guy on the right side? We really have NO ONE on the right side with a hopeful feeling of "Whoa....cant wait for this so an so call up." Its when we look at ANY call up that is out there, its more of a feeling of "well...... I guess he has to have a chance" That doesn't cut it if a team wants to contend for a playoff spot let alone be any real threat in our own division.

 

 

Rienzo barring any injury

 

unfortunately though he didn't look much different than Paulino

 

 

unfortunately though he didn't look much different than Paulino

They really are not much alike as pitchers. Not sure where you are getting that.

 

 

7th? 8th? you are being generous. Ever since I saw him in spring training I was saying that this guy is a scrub. My feeling is he won the starting job because lets face it. Who do we REALLY have that is not just another "get by-er" type of guy on the right side? We really have NO ONE on the right side with a hopeful feeling of "Whoa....cant wait for this so an so call up." Its when we look at ANY call up that is out there, its more of a feeling of "well...... I guess he has to have a chance" That doesn't cut it if a team wants to contend for a playoff spot let alone be any real threat in our own division.

 

I would rather have some younger guy being our #5 starter then some old guy coming off an injury and hasn't pitched in awhile.

Tommy Hanson

 

(Surprised it took quiet me to come up with this one!)

Tommy Hanson

 

(Surprised it took quiet me to come up with this one!)

 

Dylan Axelrod 2013 fastball velocity: 88.1

Tommy Hanson 2013 fastball velocity: 89.6

 

 

Tommy Hanson

 

(Surprised it took quiet me to come up with this one!)

 

He probably needs to prove his shoulder isn't completely burned out and be old Atlanta good at AAA before he comes into contention for the 6th spot.

(Just to stress again, part of "consistent success" is the word "consistent"...which at some level may well require a team to give guys a chance to work through early season struggles).

 

 

No argument with what you say. How long is the rope though? Maybe Nate Jones returning healthy will help

(Just to stress again, part of "consistent success" is the word "consistent"...which at some level may well require a team to give guys a chance to work through early season struggles).

 

Or more likely a change in talent evaluators.

Or more likely a change in talent evaluators.

Which by definition would not be "consistent" as it includes the word "change".

Which by definition would not be "consistent" as it includes the word "change".

 

It's the success part for this organization that requires change.

It's the success part for this organization that requires change.

Which to a large extent has already happened...but which hasn't had time to be reflected in a long-term big league product

Which by definition would not be "consistent" as it includes the word "change".

 

 

I will stay on Balta's side on this issue for now. Too early to say our relief pitching talent is bad but a few more months of this and I may be agreeing with Marty.

They really are not much alike as pitchers. Not sure where you are getting that.

 

Guess I should have clarified. Didn't mean pitching styles. I meant that both of them seem to be in the same competitive pitching category of looking like any good line up can just "tee off" on these guys. Saw Nothing real impressive with either one (especially the ability to throw and locate strikes with any good pitches on a consistent basis). As mentioned in a previous post................Another right handed "get-by-er" is not going to be enough to cut it if we are going to give Detroit a serious run.

 

 

I don't know if it's worth anything, but Paulino really needs his slider to bite in order to find success, so neither Arizona nor Colorado are good places for him to show what he's capable of. Add the "rust" factor in, and I'm not at all ready to write the guy off. He throws 95 and has decent off-speed pitches. If he's still looking like this in late May or June, I'm ready to declare the lottery ticket a bust.

Edited April 9, 201411 yr by ScottyDo

By definition, your fifth starter is pretty successful if he's giving you the opportunity to win half those games.

 

So far, he's done that. With Johnson coming out of the gate shaky, there shouldn't be a rush to "demote/waive/cut" Paulino before the end of May.

 

Even if we had the best starting rotation in the AL, we'd still have a ton of bullpen and fielding issues that would be very difficult to fix in the middle of the season.

 

The fact is that we had 3 ?'s in Danks/Johnson/Paulino coming into the season, and question marks at nearly every spot in the bullpen. The worst thing they could do would be overreact to a contending team early and making a move to all of a sudden thrust them into playoff contention this year if it's to the ultimate detriment of the long-term strategic plan going forward.