In the water-cooler chat, one cubicle to your right, Mo' Dawg wonders if we might not be better off with the 3-4 starters we gots already.
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Bergman's better right now, too. He was creamed in one start, but has been nails recently, otherwise: 25 innings, 17 hits, 3 ER's.
Gallardo is scheduled up on the 12th and Bergman the 13th, but Moore wouldn't throw until the 14th, which is Gaviglio's start. You could move Bergman and Gaviglio up a day each...or you look to the 17th in Texas to let Moore bump Gallardo (or the 22nd at home vs. Detroit).
Hey, I'm kind of to the point where I'm not concerned with Kuma getting back. Smyly? Completely off my radar right now ((If he's after the All-Star break, then he's 40+ games away).
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Agreed with Moe's general sentiments as usual. Agreed with his specific applications as usual. Kicking the ball down the soccer field in the 2 v 1 breakaway:
1) Christian Bergman didn't have his great change speed game last time out, but he had legit Doug Fister(TM) tri-fastball location rather than fuzzy Doug Fister tri-fastball location. It was nassssssty. His fourth pitch was a hard cutter/slider that was also a pretty decent weapon.
When a guy with Bergman's track record pitches so well, you blink your eyes. And blink them some more. And wonder if you're seeing things. But pitchers do refine their craft, given enough time. James' maxim was: MOST pitchers, if they stayed healthy and in the rotation, would figure out a way to get people out. Like Moe sez, Bergman has been authentically tough. It's getting harder to bet against 'im, ain't it?
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2) One of the Denizens pointed out that Dipoto could seek to offload Yovani Gallardo, in Wade Miley fashion (perhaps eating a reasonable $3M of the remaining deal). It hadn't occurred to me, but that sounds right. Some major league GM's are probably going to be thinking like Billy Zoom, that Gallardo is throwing a lot better than he's being given credit for. And from the M's point of view, they do have a traffic jam emerging in the rotation now.
Starts to sound doable.
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3) I definitely agree that Sam Gaviglio should keep Iwakuma in a circle-the-airport pattern, for several more starts, anyway. That would apply for me, even if Iwakuma were ready, which he ain't. At this point I for sure want to see who Sam Gaviglio is.
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4) Drew Smyly IS off the radar, but I was surprised to see this: Smyly threw a bullpen yesterday, without pain, and after a handful more bullpen sessions could throw a sim game. So it's realistic that he could be back in a month, which is 5 starts or so.
It's tempting to "move on" from Smyly, but leave us not forget that he was a Top of Rotation (TOR) #3 starter to begin with, and that he was a Cy Young candidate in the WBC. This dude can flat-out pitch. He steps right into any rotation in baseball and makes it better.
The Mariners survived the DL's best shot, and in Billy Beane fashion, seem to be jelling as the season drops into Dog Days mode.
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5) Here's a very good writeup on Adam Moore from Kate Preusser. Check it out. It's Denizen-quality ;- )
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6) The Mariners are soft-pedalling Felix' return. Here's a piece on it. Sounds very much like they're wit' Mo Dawg: if the Safeco rotation ain't broken, don't hurry too much to fix it. Annoying for Felix, palpably. But here in the peanut gallery we are feeling no pain.
Dr's Prognosis? Hey, Drew Smyly and Felix Hernandez are good major league pitchers. But here we sit wondering if we want them back. Think about that. Give THIS lineup some starting pitching and, mercy sakes alive, maybe it can win the pennant..
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Enjoy,
Dr D
