I mentioned Schilling in another thread, referencing what I expect to be Pineda's fastball reliance while he gets his offspeed stuff under control, and the leap he should take in the bigs once that works.
He can keep his head above water with that FB while he learns, though, and that's a big thing.
But Schilling went through several stages in his career. The one I was referring to with Pineda was when he figured out how to keep the FB out of the heart of the plate and his hits plummetted to make him a TOR pitcher.
But the stage 3 rocket for his career was when he got his pitch sequences right and could get the Ks, and Felix may be primed for the same boost.
Curt as a starter:
Year 1: 6.5 hits, 2.5 walks, 6 K
Year 2-3: 9 hits, 2.5 walks, 6.5 K
Year 4-5: 7.5 hits, 2-2.5 walks, 9 K
Year 6-7: 7.5 hits, 2.0 walks, 10.5 K
Year 8-9: 8-8.5 hits, 2.0 walks, 7.5 K (arm fatigue)
Year 10-12: 7.5-8 hits, 1.5 walks, 10.5 K
Year 13-end: wrapping up a fine career
Felix?
Year 1: 6.5 hits, 2.5 walks 8 K (partial)
Year 2-4: 9 hits, 2.5-3 walks, 8 K
Year 5-6: 7-7.5 hits, 2.5 walks, 8-8.5 K
Felix didn't up his Ks when Curt did, but he dropped his hits in the same year-plane without really budging his Ks at all, and that makes it seem like there's more to be had.
I'm with you, Doc - Felix is already all-world, and if he hits the stage three booster rockets like Schilling did, when those extra 2.5 K/9 show up the rest of the world is gonna weep.
Even with his velocity issues this year, though, betting against Lincecum is hard for me. I guess I still remember the Dodgers giving away Pedro because he was too fragile to last.
3 Cy Youngs and 2800 innings later...that seems a bit short-sighted.
Still, if I offered you Roger Clemens or Pedro Martinez you'd have to think pretty hard about it. I'm perfectly happy with the starter we have. I just wish we'd also been smart enough to add Pedro to our Clemens when we had the chance.
Such is life. Maybe getting our Wade Boggs at 2B and keeping our Curt Schilling attempt as a system prize will help us make up for it, right?
~G