Starters in the bullpen

[goulik]

The Twins are going to make the playoffs and they have a strong bullpen but that bullpen is full of recent starter prospects? We can all agree, at least I hope we can, that the dream of May returning to the starting rotation is over and I don't think any of us dream of Duffey returning to a starting role but there are 9 other pitchers on the 40 man roster that were starters until very recently. Gonsalves is not on the current active roster and has not been used out of the bullpen so lets focus on the other 8 names I have for this discussion:

 

Romero

Graterol

Littell

Alcala

Dobnak

Smeltzer

Thorpe 

Stewart

 

So our question is, "who do you want to see remain relievers and who do you hope they give a chance to be starters again in the future"

 

Since Im starting this thread, I will go first.

 

Romero has been a mess in the transition to reliever this year and I always wanted him to be a starter. I hope he gets another chance but on the other hand, I feel like I'm talking about Trevor May all over again. I want him to get another chance to start but he probably is a reliever now. My decision: stretch him out in Spring Training and give him an extended look before moving him to the bullpen.

 

Graterol should get more time to become a starter. He is so young and has so much potential. Lets not limit that so soon. He needs to be a AAA starter to start next year and hopefully come up in that role later in the year.

 

Littell was only a prospect to be a 4-5 starter and not a top end guy. I think the bullpen will prove a great place for him.

 

Alcala is a wild card to me. He is still fairly new to the organization so I just don't know what we have there yet... I just don't know but lean towards him being another AAA starter to try and become a starter of the future.

 

Dobnak and Smeltzer seem to both be in the same category for me. They seemed to have success as starters though they did not seem like they should. I like to give guys like them a chance. Both may be Duffeys of the future but for Spring Training. Stretch them out and see what they can do. We need starters next year.

 

Thorpe to me is still a starter and should be back in that role in the Spring. If he's not ready, let him finish developing at AAA

 

Stewart needs more than any of these to have a final decision made this Spring. I thought his hopes as a starter was over but what he did with the Twins, though not stellar, did give me hope he still could be a back end rotation starter if given an extended chance. And again, we need starters next year. I say give him a chance in Spring Training and if he does not look the part by opening day, move him permanently to the bullpen.