5 Vargas quick link:  What do you get if a high school pitcher came up with an ML changeup and the guts of a cat burglar?

Robles would rank ahead of Vargas and probably ahead of Fister, if SSI didn't loathe Robles' throwing motion with the fire of a thousand suns.

Since Robles does, in fact, step about eight-ten inches on the first base side of the center line and then wrench his hip --- > trying to cross his own belly like a slalom water skiier bouncing over the speedboat's wake ...

Vargas is five by default. 

Proven BOR starter.  Long-term forecast drizzly and dreary.  Very high flyball rate.  87 mph.  High contact rate.  The end could be very sudden.

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6 Robles quick link:  If Robles pitched for the Yankees or Red Sox, and stepped down the centerline, he'd be the next Jon Lester, Scott Kazmir or Clayton Kershaw ... and would rank 4th on this list. 

The five-inning stigma means little or nothing to me.  Word was that his lower body was weak and that he fatigues easily ... but considering his motion, the fact that he could last 5-6 innings was incredible.

If it was my org, I'd go buy one of those flat garden hoses, the kind that mists up? ... teach him to step on the correct side of it, and after two bullpens the Mariners would be breaking in two ROY candidates.

It ain't my org, and if the Mariners read on the 'net that Matt Thornton just has to lower his CG or that Gil Meche needs to throw curve balls for strike one, they'll forbid employees from mentioning it.  So Robles is #6 going into camp.

.............

I dunno.  :shrug:  The low-minors pic above has Robles not nearly so far into his Mirror-Jeff-Nelson infatuation phase.  Maybe they can just talk to him and convince him that he's not a LOOGY.

Starter's rhythm, kid.  Gordon likes 'im his 10-strikeout lefties.

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