Dunno about that, Sandy. Wilhelmsen is being moved to the pen because Cortes isn't ready, and neither is Fields. You're right about that: the other, safer options failed, so they're grabbing the next guy who looks like he IS ready. They made a call on Varvaro that he was never gonna find the right amount of control and let him get swiped on waivers.
But Wilhelmsen is a talent. Age is a red herring in that conversation and you know it. He has 2 years in the minors, was a first round pick, throws 95 and has growth left while making the Ms think he can get out pro players NOW.
Moving him to the pen is a calculated attempt to harness his arm now rather than wait 2 years for him to stretch out as a starter.
It's no different than pinching Sherrill from the indy leagues and letting him into the pen the next season. It didn't matter how old Sherrill was, he was the best arm option for what we needed.
The Ms do have an upper-minors problem with starters. They had Pineda who just got promoted and Robles who was on the verge until his arm issues, and could knock off one of our #5 guys next year if healthy. They added Paxton but he's got a ways to go - seeing as he's never pitched in the pros. Beavan is knocking on the door, but again as a starter - he doesn't have an arm that profiles in relief.
But the crop of expected pitchers isn't there, like you said. Tillman and Co were traded for Bedard, and Lorin and Co were traded for the Pittsburgh guys who didn't work out. Adcock is now making a major league 25 man.
The guys who needed to be there for us to have quality pitching depth in the upper minors got moved. That rotting corpse you mentioned has been basically worked to the bone.
And picks like Fields didn't work (At least not yet). That happens. We have a raft of closers on their way up the ranks that we drafted last year, and we have teenage arms that are gonna hit the low minors like gangbusters this year.
They won't all work out either, but the holes are getting patched. The farm is DEFINITELY improved from Feier's days. I'm thankful for the trades that are helping to get us through this patch, but Wilhelmsen and Lueke making this team is not a sign of system weakness but of the new regime's better ability to add strength.
Also, if you add 8 guys to your 25 man (Pineda, Smoak, Lueke, Saunders, Moore, Fister, Wilhelmsen and soon Ackley) from the farm in just over a year, then I don't think you can also say the farm is weak. Maybe a little weaker in upper-minors pitching than you'd want, but there are still guys who can make a difference by next season.
Sure some of them were added from outside the org, but that's the GM's job - to go get what he doesn't have.
He appears to be doing that part well.
~G
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