During the game they talked about how Erasmo would be going on one extra day's rest if he comes up. Well, Walker would be going short one day's rest (he pitched the day after Bondo). Would they move a vet forward one day and let HIM pitch the short-rest day in order to get Taijuan up?
Keep in mind, there's the All-Star Break next week. There is one start for the Bonderman slot between then and now... and the AAA All-Star Break happens at the same time (does every year).
So you go from a day short to some extra rest for Taijuan if you wait one start.
If the Ms call up Erasmo for the start, I won't complain at all.
If Beavan starts, then I'm gonna assume it's a one-game thing and Walker is coming up right after the break for a tremendous splash.
That would be the ballsy move, but really I'll take either.
~G
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Talking on TV about the release of Jeremy Bonderman, the skipper emphasized that it was "more about the guy we're bringing in" than it was about Bonderman. Which, sure, we can take that one at face value.
Odd that the M's would be so coy about the new pitcher's identity. Dr. D would like to kid himself that it could be Walker, Seattle Mariner (thanks Spec) or James Paxton -- who later that night threw a 9-IP complete-game shutout.
Because you know Erasmo will be up soon, also. I'd rather have a #3 and a #4 starter than just a #3 starter. I'm a deep thinker.
............
Miller, Franklin, and Zunino have completely lifted the cloud around the organization. They have.
Eric Wedge is visibly relaxed, knowing for a fact that he's not going to be fired after the ballclub starts winning. It won't matter if they're -4 under .500, if they are 16-and-11 the last four weeks.
Wedge's installation of Mike Zunino at catcher, on a 6-days-a-week basis, without a net, is almost unprecedented. It incredibly decisive and self-convicted for Wedge to make such a decision; remember, Zunino right now has less experience than Posey and Weiters did when they arrived in the bigs, and they set the standard for quick arrivals.
The M's have a winning record overall in Zunino's starts, and have won 7 of the last 10 games that Zunino has started. For Eric Wedge to watch two (2) games, and then to cut Kelly Shoppach, that was simply remarkable. Obviously Mike Zunino delivered the things that Wedge was looking for.
One of the things that Wedge looks for, is being ready to hit -- to attack the right pitch once it gets there. But don't be misled by the big blogs: Wedge has said that Miller's best game to date was the one in which he went 0-for-2 ... with two walks.
Don't underestimate Wedge's grasp of the pitcher-hitter battle! He knows more about it, not less about it, than you and I do. Eric Wedge was a pro catcher. You and I weren't.
Mike Blowers in the booth is, time and again, crediting the DP combo with the new energy.
Jack Zduriencik, finally having seen a logical move NOT blow up in his face, seems emboldened to do what he's been inclined to do from the start: get Real Talent (TM) into his 25-man roster.
Jay Buhner of all people, the ultimate Entitled Vet, wholeheartedly /cosigned the demotion of Brendan Ryan. "The Mariners did it the right way. You gotta produce, man, that's the bottom line. And the kid had the numbers. That's the way this game works."
It's odd: you've got eight kids* and Raul Ibanez hitting 4th ... they talk about the clinic that Raul puts on in batting practice. First round, a bunch of line drives to left field. Second round he ... well, Ibanez is functioning as a player-coach. A true Billy Beane moneyball Honda Civic add.
That is what Zduriencik fantasized in spring training, the one Miracle Veteran showing eight kids how it's done, but rarely do the X's and O's work out like this. It's an amazingly symmetrical Mariner landscape right now.
...........
Capt. Jack took a whale of a lot of draws at the deck, and he drew a long string of "babies," deuces and fives and threes. Now, boom, he has drawn some big cards. It's about blinkin' time. Maybe, like Justin Smoak, our GM will now start whacking himself in the wallet with the bat.
Maybe he's ready to draw two or three more cards. SSI dearly hopes so. You could bring up THREE Rainier starters, couldn't you? Why not?
But, failing that, I'd love to hear about Erasmo being the second man in. That would RRrrrock.
Comments
They said Bevaan might make an emergency start...only reason he'd need to do that is to give the Mariners time to slide Walker in at his logical rotation spot.
Is the way to go.
Cannonball on this one Jack. Spash big!
Who needs Saunders the rest of the year? Somebody will give us something....
As much as we want to see it, I don't think it will happen. Not trying to be a debbie-downer, but considering his innings-pitched progression (2011 - 97, 2012 - 127, 2013 - 100 so far) I don't see them letting him go more than 170 innings. Maybe 12 more starts at 6 innings per start. 12 starts every 5 days is 60 days; roughly 2 months. That takes you to the end of the AAA season.
Now to play devil's advocate to myself, you COULD make him your 5th starter and skip him in the rotation when days off allowed, thus postponing the date at which he reaches an innings limit.
I am in no way privy to their actual thinking, but I just can't think that they will let his innings load go from 127 to 190. I think he gets called up in September, maybe makes a start (or two) and then gets shut down.
I will be happy to be incorrect in this assessment.
and if Walker gets the call now, then for Hultzen to tag in when we want to shut Walker down for the year at 170 innings or whatever. Hultzen hasn't thrown a lot, and Paxton too has missed a few weeks due to injury, so you could call up Paxton (90 innings so far) or Carraway (80 innings) or Hultzen (just 35 innings) to get them some major league time in September while Walker sips a lemonade and watches, reveling in his 3-ish ERA in his first touch of the bigs.
I don't know if Walker's gonna get the call, and you might be right, if he does it might be in September for a cuppa, but there's nothing stopping them from running him out there after the ASB and planting an early banner for the assault on 2014.
~G
2014: the start of the "Big Teal Machine"? Can't wait!
While I expect they'll give Erasmo the call, I don't know why it couldn't be Walker just as easily, or both if there is a deal in the works for Harang or Saunders. They keep talking about Walker's innings limit on the broadcast, but it's only the all-star break. As Brent said above, 170 innings for the year should be doable, which means he could come and start every 5th day for 2 months and then kick it in September. Maybe Hultzen or Pax takes over at that point and gets a few ML starts before the offseason.
While I don't support trading Walker in the offseason, getting him some major league exposure only increases his value, as it would for Erasmo, Hultzen, Maurer, and even Paxton if he has his mechanical issues under control.
I expect to see Walker fairly near term, then Hultzen, with Paxton and Maurer to pick up additional innings in September. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them give Paxton or Maurer a few weeks in the bullpen, also, to see how they do warming up in-game. And the 5-inning/4-inning split that they use in MiLB won't be out of the realm of possibility given the innings/experience matrix.