A Disturbing Spring Vision
A vision I did not particulary enjoy came to me last night. It was enough to keep me awake. John Bale and Brett Tomko will win the final two spots in the rotation.
Frankly, Bale probably has earned a spot and I will do my best to embrace him in that role. Despite a rather horriific slow curve to Aramis Ramirez yesterday, Bale looked pretty good most of the way and has not really had a truly bad outing all spring. Additionally, being a southpaw, Bale’s inclusion in the starting rotation will stave of the coming of the Apocalypse that many in baseball and the blogosphere seemed to think would be spawned by having five right handers starting.
As for Tomko, the Royals brought him in to start. Even if the money is really pretty insignificant (baseball wise that is - $3 million is pretty significant to you and me), the entire organization has worked so hard to see good things in bad Tomko outings that the writing is on the wall. I think the organziation believes in Bob McClure’s ability to make pitchers better and will put Tomko in the rotation in hopes the McClure can work some magic. However, fixing a 24 year old Kyle Davies or a 28 year old Gil Meche is a lot easier than fixing a 35 year old Brett Tomko. Those of us who have seen 35 come and go know that there isn’t much changing being done at that age.
I don’t really think that Bale and Tomko at the end of the rotation really gives this team much more of a chance to win games than having Hochevar and Davies there, but maybe that’s not the point. I can certainly understand the logic of giving Hochevar more AAA seasoning and having Davies try to harness his stuff in the minors versus blowing up every other time he touches a big league mound. I can understand it, but it does not make the idea of seeing John Bale and Brett Tomko every fifth day any more exciting.
Maybe I’m wrong and will be delightfully suprised when Luke Hochevar toes the rubber sometime in the first week of April. Of course, even if that does happen, it may well be accompanied by Ross Gload making his sixth straight start at first base, too.
Here’s to hoping that Dayton Moore and Trey Hillman pull off some suprises during the last 10 days of spring training.
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24 Responses to “A Disturbing Spring Vision”
March 19th, 2008 at 7:08 am
I’m pretty sure that Ross Gload is the anti-Christ.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Isn’t that woman entering the left side of the post from Emperors Club VIP?
March 19th, 2008 at 7:37 am
A lefty in the rotation! We’re saved from certain doom! Kidding. I don’t mind Bale getting the spot though; he’s looked good.
Now, I don’t like to be negative about the Royals, but Tomko has not loked good. I’m not really sure what that signing did for us. I mean, did GMDM really think that the dude was going to be better than any of the in-house options? He had not been overly successful in the past - in the NL - in a pitcher’s park no less! And while $3M is not too significant a cost to current MLB teams, it is significant enough on a small-market team that he will be on the 25-man. I don’t see us releasing him, and I doubt we’d park his money next to Berroa’s in AAA (yeah, I think Tomko’s bad enough to clear waivers). That’d be a heck of a lot of give from Glass. I realize he’s loosened the purse strings, but I wouldn’t imagine that he’d just flush around 10% of the payroll (between the two) down the toilet.
Anyway, I don’t suspect either will make more than 20 starts, with probably only 10-15 from Tomko (I’ll go with what is “Forearm Tightness” for $500, Mr. Trebek). So at least we’ll see Hochevar soon enough if he starts in AAA.
March 19th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I don’t mind Bale making the rotation at all - not because he’s a lefty, but he was a solid long reliever in the bullpen, and he’s been good enough this spring that, well, he’s earned his shot in the rotation.
Tomko, however, needs to be exiled to the bullpen. Now. If Hochevar is going to remain a starter but have an inning cap, he might as well reach it in the majors. If he self-destructs early, OK, send him to AAA to simmer or - gasp - let him work through it. He was effective in the majors last year, has been good this spring, is young, and, well, he owns Tomko. No Brett Tomko in the rotation!
March 19th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Gload + Tomko = 100 Losses
March 19th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I am going to try not come off poorly here, but I don’t know why this vision just came to you last night (you can see my post on Monday). Bale has performed well all spring and the Royals are obviously and openly more committed to Tomko than the rest of the pool.
Knowing that the Royals are set on Tomko, I actually think this isn’t a bad approach (see my post from last Wednesday).
The point isn’t that the veteran guys aren’t going to win anymore games, the point is that if they are a reasonable bet to do relatively as well as the youngster that you can stash in Omaha then you should go with the veteran starting pitchers. And I believe they are. If they do well, then you have something of value to use or trade (yes, if Bale or Tomko actually perform well as SP’s they would have some trade value; especially Bale and I don’t think that’s unlikey). If they do poorly, you release or reassign them and bring up a youngster. If you cut the vets now, then you’ve reduced your asset pool for no clear advantage to winning now or the long run.
The one down side to this likely scenario is the DLR probably winds up getting released. However, while DLR has good upside potential, he’s the worst bet of the bunch (to win games for us now). There is definitely a trade-off with keeping or cutting DLR (keep good talent v. winning now). If DLR was performing well this Spring, I would advocate cutting Tomko and starting DLR. I have no problems, in fact I like the approach, with putting Hoechaver and Davies in Omaha and letting them earn their way back up. If Hoechaver was getting his K’s, I would feel differently.
Regarding DLR, probably the best scenario (short of him all the sudden getting it together) is to flip him for somebody of similar value that we can stash in the minors. Then we haven’t lost anything.
Those are my thoughts.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Maybe we can flip Tomko and DLR to some pitching-starved team before the 25-man rosters take effect. I know we won’t get much - what did we give up last year for TPJ?
I am all bummed because Nomo won’t be in the rotation.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:08 am
We gave up young injured starting pitcher with a very high ceiling. I believe his name was Erik Cordier. I believe many questioned the move. I know Rob and Rany thought it absolutely dreadful. They thought it could really come back to haunt us. That being said, TPJ has already exceeded their meager expectation of him.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Tomko still sucks and does not deserve to be in the rotation. What does this say about the club? What does this say to guys who have outperformed Tomko in ST like Hochevar and Davies?
“Sorry Luke and Kyle. We know you’re the better pitchers and have performed better, but this is life in the majors. Go to the minors and keep out performing Tomko. We’ll call you up when there’s no other choice.”
If I guy deserves to be in the rotation, he should be in the rotation. If he doesn’t deserve to be in the rotation, he shouldn’t be in the rotation. It’s the wrong message to send to prospects. Yes, sending Davies to the minors to begin the season makes sense. But, sending Hochevar when Tomko sucks. It’s the wrong message.
At least Gload hit for average last year and has someone shown he can succeed at a certain level. Tomko has done NOTHING.
Z
March 19th, 2008 at 11:46 am
If the Royals really think Hoechaver and Davies are ready, they should put them in the rotation and I believe they will. I just don’t think they believe that yet.
I don’t know if Tomko does or will perform as poorly as you think. But, at least, with the current regime and additional talent, we should all have confidence that we will cut bait if we need to. What transpired with Lima several years back was unimaginably awful.
If the Royals put Tomko in the rotation and 2 of his first 3 starts are awful, then they should bale (no pun intended) on him and I think they will. I guess you and many others are certain that he will fail miserably and are saying don’t waste even a few games. I honestly don’t know enough about him to say, but if the Royals keep him I’ve got to believe they have some hope for him. If they are wrong though, I believe they won’t stay with him long.
Man, I just found out that the Royals are off today. You know you’re a Royals’ junkie when an off day in ST bums you out a little.
Go Royals.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Ewing…I would like to believe KC would pull the plug on a crappy Tomko, but I am reminded of Odalis Perez being in the rotation for much of the season last year when he didn’t deserve to be.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Zach - Good point about Perez. However, and correct if I’m wrong, I don’t believe we had the depth last year to replace Odalis.
This has prompted me to study Tomko’s numbers. I have to admit that I have not done that. Perhaps I will have be void of all hope for him as well once I look at his numbers.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Prepare yourself to hate Tomko even more after looking at the numbers…
Odalis was our only option last year. We couldn’t bring up Hochevar because he was sucking in AA. I realize he was limited in what they were letting him do, he was chanigng his repertoire, etc… Lumsden was sucking. Etc… Etc… I mean, as bad as Odalis was, the only option we had was to bring someone young up to suck just as bad and really crush them emotionally. We gave starts to Wellemeyer for God’s sake.
Anyway, I think injury will sort all of this out for us.
Just like Olivo cannot be traded yet, so goes Tomko. I think the rule is supposed to keep teams like the Yankees from signing every FA out there and then cutting them at the end of ST. At least that’s how I understand it.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
You guys are dissing Odalis Perez? Washington Nationals Opening Day Starter?
March 19th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Wish KC was playing Washington on Opening Day…even Gload would look like a slugger.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Now the Royals have either added a pitcher or a fish to the pen.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
This move puzzles me. I thought we had plenty of decent arms for the pen. The Royals must like this guy quite a bit. I wonder what we’re giving up for him.
March 19th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I almost wonder if somebody in the pen will be traded soon. But more then likely he will be in AAA.
It took this guy 9 seasons in the minors before he was called up so they can’t, or better not be giving up much.
http://minors.baseball-reference.com/players.cgi?pid=27586
March 19th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
The PTBNL is probably DLR or Nunez.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
The Royals made a small trade today picking up 28 year old reliever Brad Salmon from Cincy for a PTBNL- (don’t count on it being any we know)
It’s such a small move the Royals are not even claiming it- I got it off Reds website
He was in AAA last year not so great 5.29 era and a BPV of only 47. He has decent dom and keeps the ball in the park but is wild.
Year before in AA he was pretty good 8 k’s per 9 71 bpv 3.70 era but at 27 he should be good in AA.
Maybe he’s coming of an injury -maybe GMDM is looking for AAA depth-no shot at major league roster
March 20th, 2008 at 5:26 am
I really worry about the families of our IFers on the days Tomko starts. Hillman might want to go with an all-bachelor infield on those days. Or he could just put everyone deep in the OF. There are lives to be saved here people. I cannot imagine what GMDM was thinking when he signed Tomko. If it looks like a skunk, walks like a skunk, and smells like a skunk you can bet it stinks. “Tomko” will soon become a code word for “Man, I miss Odalis Perez”.
The Pena trade may turn out to be a bad one, but speaking for the many of us who watched Berroa vainly seek out ground balls, something had to be done.
I have no problem with Bale getting a shot at the rotation. At least his ST effort looks worthy of the opportunity as compared to the other options. And I would like to see Hochevar go to Omaha and show us that he really belongs up here. As for Kyle Davies he is probably the younger brother Tomko always wanted.
March 20th, 2008 at 5:47 am
PTBNL will not be DLR or Nunez. Those guys are somewhat valuable (especially Nunez). PTBNL will most likely be someone from AA or lower.
March 20th, 2008 at 8:04 am
I have nothing of substance to add, I just adore the idea of 5 righties in the starting rotation being the sign of the apocalypse. I almost hope it happens just to see the hyperhysterical hand-wringing that would ensue.
March 20th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I hate the thought of Tomko in the rotation and it appears he is going to get one of the last two spots. 5 RHP’s wouldn’t bother me but I am rather intrigued by Bale. I think he could put up some decent numbers.
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