Thread: Carlos Villanueva?

Originally Posted by Top Gun

Cubs signed RHP Carlos Villanueva to a two-year, $10 million contract.

Villanueva has registered a decent 4.11 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 7.4 K/9 over his last 232 1/3 innings, operating as both a starter and a reliever for the Blue Jays. He'll be used primarily out of the rotation in Chicago and could carry some value in deeper mixed fantasy leagues.

Source: Jon Heyman on Twitte

Interesting, I wonder what happened to the demand for 30 or more starts. From the quote above, He'll be used primarily out of the rotation. I thought he would be worth a flyer, but I didn't like the thought of having to guarantee starts. I'm not sure the 2 years for 10 million is reliever money.

Originally Posted by Top Gun

Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports that the Cubs are "now the front runner" for Edwin Jackson.

I read some where that the Cubs are the only ones left, because the contract talks are now at 4 or 5 years. He is a league average guy now, but where will he be at 4 or 5 years down the road.

I would view him just as a placeholder for our rotation. We would need him for only a couple of years, then he wouldn't fit into our long term plans. Hopefully, someone of his ability wouldn't make our top 5 in 2015 and beyond. I may be overly optimistic, but I can't see going 4 or 5 years on Jackson as a good signing. Although we can all find fault with Correia and Pelfrey, that are only 1 and 2 year deals that will have any impact on 2015 and beyond, when hopefully we will be competitive again.

Career spot starter with a high 80 fastball. Cubs had to pay 5/mil a year for that? Guess you can't complain that Correia's signing was out of line

Twins signed RHP Mike Pelfrey to a one-year, $4 million contract.

The deal was agreed to on Sunday then finalized Thursday morning after the 28-year-old right-hander passed his physical. Pelfrey made only three starts in 2012 due to an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John reconstructive surgery and owns a pedestrian 4.36 career ERA. He's doubtful to hold any fantasy value in 2013.

Do you just pick threads at random to post in? Why not put it in one of the multiple Pelfrey threads?

Given identical contracts I'd take Villanueva over Correia 10 times out of 10.

I'll take the guy that has shown he can pitch in the AL east over a guy that has been middling in the NL central, the money being equal.

Originally Posted by old nurse

Career spot starter with a high 80 fastball. Cubs had to pay 5/mil a year for that? Guess you can't complain that Correia's signing was out of line

I would have much preferred Villanueva to Correia. Even if they are both destined for the pen, at least Villanueva has proven he is capable. Correia will be useless other than a long man/garbage time guy seeing as his awful K/9 means a club should never bring him in in high leverage situations with runners on as they will almost certainly advance/score.

Originally Posted by Winston Smith

I'll take the guy that has shown he can pitch in the AL east over a guy that has been middling in the NL central, the money being equal.

And if he falls on his face as a starter at least he can go to the pen and manage to strike a few guys out. When Correia falls on his face your only option is to give him the Blackburn treatment and pay him to pitch for Rochester in 2014.

Originally Posted by old nurse

Career spot starter with a high 80 fastball. Cubs had to pay 5/mil a year for that? Guess you can't complain that Correia's signing was out of line

Actually, yeah, the Cubs made out better. Villanueva is 3 years younger (suggests more tradeable and durable), nearly 2 more Ks/9, WHIP of 1.27 vs. Correia's 1.41, proven AL East track record.

I'll admit the evidence suggests he won't eat the innings, but to his credit, he was seeking an opportunity to get a chance to eat the innings, a perfect opportunity to sign an incentivized player to fill a glaring need with the Twins.

Originally Posted by minn55441

I would view him just as a placeholder for our rotation. We would need him for only a couple of years, then he wouldn't fit into our long term plans. Hopefully, someone of his ability wouldn't make our top 5 in 2015 and beyond. I may be overly optimistic, but I can't see going 4 or 5 years on Jackson as a good signing.

I see no problem with a "league-average" pitcher taking one of the #3-5 spots in rotation. He would be #1 right now. Even if May, Meyer and Gibson all work out, Worley and Jackson can fill out the rest of the rotation.

Originally Posted by Physics Guy

I see no problem with a "league-average" pitcher taking one of the #3-5 spots in rotation. He would be #1 right now. Even if May, Meyer and Gibson all work out, Worley and Jackson can fill out the rest of the rotation.

Sorry for my last post being off-topic, this is really a Vilanueva thread. I would much rather have Villanueva than Correia. He has shown he can pitch in the AL and would be fine in the bullpen if Gibson and/or Pelfrey are able to move into the rotation (which I think is questionable to start the season).

Correia and Villanueva are pretty equal pitchers depending on what you are looking for. Each of the past four years has seen Correia pitch 73, 20, 29 and 46 more innings than the best Villanueva season. I think that is more valuable than higher k/9 rates that are inflated by Villanueva pitching many more innings out of the bullpen. The AL East vs. NL Central argument is fair, but that can still be mitigated somewhat by starting vs. relieving.

Not saying I like the Correia contract, but if it had been Villanueva instead I probably would have been equally meh.

Originally Posted by drjim

Correia and Villanueva are pretty equal pitchers depending on what you are looking for. Each of the past four years has seen Correia pitch 73, 20, 29 and 46 more innings than the best Villanueva season. I think that is more valuable than higher k/9 rates that are inflated by Villanueva pitching many more innings out of the bullpen. The AL East vs. NL Central argument is fair, but that can still be mitigated somewhat by starting vs. relieving.

Not saying I like the Correia contract, but if it had been Villanueva instead I probably would have been equally meh.

Well last year Villanueva had a k/9 rate of 8.4 as a starter, but that appears to be an anomaly, as it's been in the 5s previously as a starter. I would much prefer to have Villanueva though, solely for the potential upside. If they've been similar results wise in the past, wouldn't you rather have the guy with at least the potential to move up into a # 3-4 role? Corriera has proven he's nothing but a back of the rotation guy, at best. I think you are underestimating the move from the NL to the AL as well. It's hard to find too many examples of soft tossing guys moving to the AL and not getting worse.

Now I certainly would have rather seen us invest in guys like McCarthy, Marcum or Jackson than either of these two, but apparently that's not possible with the current brain trust running the team.