Is Scott Kazmir On Way Out Of Rotation?
Andy Sonnanstine, David Price, Scott Kazmir, Wade Davis May 22nd. 2009, 9:00am
Scott Kazmir is having a bad season. Correction, Kazmir is having an awful season: 45.2 innings, 60 hits, 29 walks, 35 strikeouts, 7.69 ERA.
That translates to a -9.7 VORP. Only Ricky Nolasco is worse (-10.9) of all pitchers with at least 40 innings pitched (Andy Sonnanstine has the 6th worst VORP, -6.4).
When Joe Maddon was asked whether Kazmir’s job was on the line…well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.
“We’re evaluating everything,” Maddon said. “Yesterday with [Kazmir], it was just unfortunate. We’ve been trying so many things to help him out, whether it’s physical, conversational, whatever you want to call it. It’s been very difficult. We’re just evaluating everything right now.”
We aren’t sure where Maddon can go. David Price is still limited to about 80 pitches. Wade Davis was strong in his last start, but mediocre prior to that. Carlos Hernandez also had a good outing last time through, but that was the exception more than the rule.
We honestly have no idea where Maddon is going to turn, but we do know, this team is not contending with two of the 10 worst starting pitchers in baseball.
Maddon to stick with Kazmir [MLB]
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IF you look at the game losses Kaz is the starting pitcher. If he was not pitching, the games won might be a little better. I don’t understand our bullpen. Shields, Garza, Sonnanstine, Neimann(not so much) have excelled ,got themselves out of bases loaded innings by hitting the strike zone. I don’t know Kaz’s problems,but its hurting our team .As AL CHamps, we need to correct it before we can’t come back from our loss category.
I don’t understand why Kazmir has such a long leash in these games — this is important, each game. And to leave him in there to get battered around like a pinata reflects poorly on Joe and Hickey.
Maddon is a very loyal manager which is good usually bc the players know he has their backs and they will do anything for him. But it hurts the team sometimes also, bc he will sometimes wait too long to make a change.
Gus:
When you say Maddon shouldn’t give him a long leash, I think for the most part Maddon has adopted a sort of Phil Jackson Zen like approach for allowing his pitchers to work themselves out of jams, much like Phil does with his players in foul trouble; however my point is if he (Maddon) doesn’t have faith to leave his starting pitcher out for 5 to 6 innings at a time (your long leash), maybe he should look at a roster change. Someone made this point about a week back, If your starting pitching can’t consistently get into the 5th or 6th inning, it’s going to completely burn out the bullpen!
Last year and this, kaz looks like someone stole his puppy……a sad look its in his eyes. even my wife agrees…..LOL can we take the Devil(29) and buy him another puppy?
or several buckets of cotton candy
Maybe thats the secret he discovered in the bullpen session….;o)