Go back a year, and what were the odds that Jaku would be starting ahead of RRS, or Morrow, or Silva for that matter.
Yeah, my putting French out there was intended to be a bit hyperbolic. But, my perception of the positions on French and Fister is that the discussions all seem to be fixated solely and completely on the eye-ball results from 30 innings. (Of course, the absolute dominance of French of Seattle itself from earlier in the year is viewed as a useless piece of abberant information, to be ignored in toto).
Back in April I said *NO PITCHER* can be accurately judged off of 30 innings, when half the blog-o-sphere was doing backflips over Jaku. What boggles my mind is how the SAME people could vehemently defend that this 30-year-old never-was can appear out of nowhere, whose statistical profile prior to 2008 strongly suggested he was well qualified to be selling Lady Kenmoores is convinced with 120% certainty that a 23-year-old kid who suddenly made a quantum leap in performance in AAA is not only currently inferior to Fister, (who has an INFERIOR AAA line in 2009). but based SOLELY AND COMPLETELY on the eyeball inspection of 30 MLB innings he throws as a rookie, (and completely and utterly ignoring his AAA numbers in 2009), believes that he is also completely and utterly incapable of EVER improving.
There's also the alarm bells that went off for me when French noted that for MOST of his innings with Detroit he was pitching with a "dead arm". If true, (and his innings issues support this), then the MLB French seen to date has been WORST French. It's possible that the Seattle game may be the only BEST French seen to date. But, what can cure a dead arm? Rest, obviously. Like ... oh, say ... the off season?
Part of the reason I suggested French over Fister was hyperbolic. But, part of it was the belief that come March of 2010 it is LIKELY that we will see a different French *OR* a different Fister. There's also the possibilty of injury (for one or both).
But, I do believe that Z would "prefer" to have three lefties in the rotation. The current spate of SP candidates doesn't fit that model, of course. But Felix is the only 100% sure thing for the 2010 rotation. Snell, Silva, Fister, French, RRS? I think EVERYONE has a chance to play their way into OR out of the rotation. And I could see massive back-pedaling on Fister if he strings together a couple of really bad outings in September.
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