In a perfect world Fister is the one we can keep. Bedard goes and brings us a catcher in return, maybe Vargas goes and brings us a left-fielder, and we figure out who can start for us in 2012. A top 3 of Felix/Pineda/Fister is really good. The competitors for the other spots:
- Beavan, who doesn't strike anybody out but can control the zone. Young and very talented, even if the velocity never comes back from his teen days.
- Carraway - see: Beavan, except he DOES strike people out (like Fister does, anyway) and he's a stone-cold pitcher with a finance degree and an internship at a private equity firm. I like him as the underdog.
- French...moving on...
- Hultzen - no I don't think he starts immediately out of college, but I can see the M's promoting him in, say, June if he starts out hot. he'll get a chance in ST to impress.
- Erasmo Ramirez - his velocity is coming up, and his control is always great, but he gets hit too much which is making him give up runs. A couple more tweaks and he can be ready to compete for a spot.
- Tony Vasquez - gives up too many hits as well for a soft-tossing control artist, but he just COMPETES, and the hits have dropped since he got promoted to AAA funnily enough. He's still tweaking his game as well.
- Paxton - I don't think he's ready yet, but he'll be in AAA next year at worst trying to prove that he is. If he can get deeper into games, maybe he really will be ready, so he and Hultzen might be on the same time-frame.
- Robles - he injured his arm and lost most of the season, and is still trying to find even his former semblance of control. But 95 MPH lefties with nasty offspeed/breaking pitches always have a shot of putting it together and making a run. More likely an option for the pen in 2012 than the rotation, but you never know.
Scott Patterson and Jarrett Grube are still around, and we could bring them to camp next year to compete for the #5 spot.
We have a LOT of arms to throw at those 2 theoretically open slots. If we get the right pieces back for the two guys that leave in trade, I'm willing to run with it and find out what some of the kids can do.
Just get the right return - in a perfect world.
~G
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