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One of the reasons I listen to a lot of minor league games is to hear the reports on how the pitcher is reacting, and to watch how their managers treat them.
Carraway was hit around the park in High Desert in 2010, as many pitchers can be in that league and park. My questions coming out of it were, "how would he handle that experience" as well as "is his deception game good enough to get out AA hitters?" AA is the windshield that inadequate changeups splatter on.
The Mariners weren't sure either - Carraway started the year in the pen. After a struggle by another starter and a manager's first-hand look at the kid, he wound up in the rotation and made an All-Star team. And he was the Opening Day starter this year.
I was surprised to see him back in AA. We don't have a lot of good starters in AAA. Which causes me to wonder: why would they do that? He had a full season in AA and was completely untroubled by it.
Do you do it to introduce him to the momentum and clubhouse of a bunch of future All-Stars that he endeavors to be a part of instead of sending him to a current waystation of time-killers?
I think makeup matters in those choices, and that giving him the ball on the first day knowing what's stacked up behind him in the rotation and ahead of him in line for promotion is an interesting test of a man's character. Carraway passed. I expect him to continue to pass.
Carraway is not a blue-chip prospect. Neither was Fister, nor Vargas. Since he has little trade value at this point I hope to see him stick around, because we're one UCL issue from needing a viable starter untroubled by either expectations or dismissal.
Carraway's exactly the sort of backup plan I want around in case one of our unstoppable talents runs into the same wall that Meche did early in his career.
~G