Carlos Villanueva?

[Physics Guy]

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.

[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).

[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.

[whydidnt]

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.