With the world buzzing over hot stove conversations regarding pitching rotation innovation in Brooklyn, and new pitches in Long Beach, some in Yellow Springs are rumbling over another issue—does the pending departure of Gerardo Fajardo (7/7/8 Ratings) mean the four-man rotation they deployed for a majority of 2035 might be here for good?
FAJARDO DEPARTURE LEAVES UNCERTAINTIES
There are rumors that the team is negotiating with the right-hander to keep him in town, but those rumors say that nothing productive is happening, so it’s best to just assume he’s gone. The Nine will likely test the market for a bigger name pitcher, but facts are facts, it’s unlikely that the next big fish is swimming in the waters of free agency, and it’s not really likely the team will give up enough of its minor league system to put a replacement in through the trade market.
So, Fajardo’s departure leaves the team with Nebraska winning Lawrence Columbus LaLoosh (10/7/8 Ratings), Jose Chavez (10/7/6 Ratings), and last year’s rookies Tristan Alfama (8/6/7 Ratings) and Carlos Valle (8/7/8 Ratings) as the presumptive 1-4. Some suggested that Curt Phillips (10/6/7 Ratings) would be #5, but he totally self-combusted in the rotation at the major league level, leading most of the team’s baseball people to say he’s looking a lot like a super closer. There are a few other possibilities in the minors, including Ryan Rose (8/5/7 Ratings) and Jose Valenzuela (7/6/5 Ratings). But the real heir to the #5 is Ernesto Ramos (9/4/6 Ratings), and he’s a year away, maybe a little more.
Another possibility is to bring lefty Tim Oliver (10/6/4 Ratings) back to the rotation. Oliver will be 31 next year, and still has good stuff. He’s wanted back into the rotation, though his wildness is an issue. With one more season on his base contract, he fits the time-span the club is looking to fill. Beyond that, he just never clicked in the bullpen.
BUT WHY WORRY?
The natural response here is to wonder what the big deal is. The club worked in the four-man rotation most of the season last year, and things worked out just fine. The Nine got more innings in shorter starts from both LaLoosh and Chavez, LaLoosh’s being a career high, and Chavez’s the most since he was still a kid. By PAP, both should still wind up among the least abused pitchers in the league—or at least not anywhere near the top of the list. Alfama will 25, and seems durable enough to act as a bullpen saver when need be, and the scintillating 23-year-old Valle could benefit from a low pitch count anyway.
Nine manager Bret Richards dipped into the bullpen for a spot start on occasion last season, and with guys like Oliver still there it seems like a workable option again.
Why not?
Sure, grabbing the next Bobby Lynch would be great, but some fans are wondering what the fuss is about. “Crash won Nebraska #3 out of the four-man,” said fake podcaster Melissa Lester. “Who wouldn’t like to see #4?”
