Neal: Who Pitchers On Opening Day?

[SweetOne69]

The guys at the top of the rotation get more starts since you can take advantage of off-days to give them more rest. This is a very bad idea.

 

Under Gardy, the Twins generally have not skipped starters so the #1 guy gets the same number of starts as the #5 guy.

[mcrow]

I am hoping that Worley earns this honor. He seems to have the most upside of the likely candidates.

 

This.

 

I think Worley is probably the best pitcher on the roster behind possibly Diamond. I know manger logic and unwritten rules may dictate that the most experienced guy starts but I thin Worley is the #1 in the rotation if Diamond is out.

[LoganJones]

The guys at the top of the rotation get more starts since you can take advantage of off-days to give them more rest. This is a very bad idea.

Obviously you wouldn't do this in a regular scenario where your top pitchers had a record of going deep into games and deep into seasons. his is a way to try to massage what you have. When you're trying to do more with less, you sometimes need to do things differently.

[Craig Arko]

This.

 

I think Worley is probably the best pitcher on the roster behind possibly Diamond. I know manger logic and unwritten rules may dictate that the most experienced guy starts but I thin Worley is the #1 in the rotation if Diamond is out.

 

Worley is probably better than Diamond, too. It'll be interesting to see how they both hold up physically. I'd like to see Worley get it. Or Harden, if he's actually able. Ryan has consistently referred to Correia as a lower part of the rotation guy; I guess this will show if the rest of the organization does, too.

[mcrow]

Worley is probably better than Diamond, too. It'll be interesting to see how they both hold up physically. I'd like to see Worley get it. Or Harden, if he's actually able. Ryan has consistently referred to Correia as a lower part of the rotation guy; I guess this will show if the rest of the organization does, too.

 

I predict Diamond will take a step back this year and I see this year as a step up year for Worley so I agree that Worley may be the best pitcher on the roster. However, Diamond looked good last year and I'm not going to just hand it to the new guy unless it's by a good margin unless there is real, on-field reason to say so.

 

Ryan has hinted at that they're really looking at Harden to be a bullpen guy.

[Craig Arko]

Ryan has hinted at that they're really looking at Harden to be a bullpen guy.

 

Yeah, I know. It's my guilty pleasure to hope he rediscovers himself and becomes a leader of the staff. Looooong shot though it is.

[70charger]

I predict Diamond will take a step back this year and I see this year as a step up year for Worley so I agree that Worley may be the best pitcher on the roster. However, Diamond looked good last year and I'm not going to just hand it to the new guy unless it's by a good margin unless there is real, on-field reason to say so.

 

Ryan has hinted at that they're really looking at Harden to be a bullpen guy.

 

I agree with all this, but I don't think Diamond is going to be good to go on opening day, is he? Bone chip surgery or some such thing?

 

It would be a great honor for him, and well-deserved after bailing the team out so much last year. He was the lone consistent bright spot on the pitching staff. But if he's not ready he's not ready.

[LaBombo]

I don't place much stock in spring training, and I'm occasionally disappointed when the Twins do. But with the freak show of question marks the Twins will be assembling their rotation from, it seems pointless to speculate who gets the nod until we've seen them pitch. That's assuming that, as mentioned above, Diamond isn't ready.

[LaBombo]

Yeah, I know. It's my guilty pleasure to hope he rediscovers himself and becomes a leader of the staff. Looooong shot though it is.

 

Back when he was still being scorned by nitwits like Joe Morgan, Bill James observed that in any give season, about 10 percent of the pitchers in the majors had been "left for dead" at one point or another in their careers. Harden's odds of pitching effectively may be worse than that , and his upside no longer what it was at his peak, but rooting for a comeback of some stripe from him beats rooting for Kevin Correia to keep being Kevin Correia for another season.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

I'm pulling for Kyle Gibson... because it would be fun.

 

My gut says Pelfrey.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Pelfrey and Worley are my 1a and 1b.

 

Even though Opening Day starter doesn't matter one bit, Gardenhire should be fired on principle if he rolls Correia out there.

[DaveW]

Bring back Radke on a ten day contract and let him have at it.

[Nick Nelson]

I'm really starting to think it's going to be Pelfrey. That would be a great story. Opening Day starter 11 months after Tommy John surgery? Has that ever happened before?

[FrodaddyG]

I'm really starting to think it's going to be Pelfrey. That would be a great story. Opening Day starter 11 months after Tommy John surgery? Has that ever happened before?

Doubtful, since I'd wager that there have been few teams that have gone into a season with their rotation in as sad a state as the Twins' rotation is coming off of 2012.