Mind you this is not a "what do you expect from him"poll.

 

Look at it as a wizard coming up to you and offering you the guarantee of a certain ERA for D-Train: What's the highest ERA you'd take?

 

Personally, if he offers me a 3.7 I'd take it in a heartbeat.

I'd be happy with a nice steady 3.75 ERA.

3.80-3.99 is what i'm expecting, anything below that is gravy.

If he wins 15-20 games I really won't care what his ERA is but...

 

I think around 3.70 would be perfect

This may be off topic but does anybody know why some people think D-train is better as a pitcher in a set up role? I've read a couple of articles on ESPN about this and they never explain in detail why.

This may be off topic but does anybody know why some people think D-train is better as a pitcher in a set up role? I've read a couple of articles on ESPN about this and they never explain in detail why.

723342[/snapback]

Because of what he did in the 2003 WS against the Yanks..he never started, he only relieved..

This guy needs another pitch me thinks

This may be off topic but does anybody know why some people think D-train is better as a pitcher in a set up role? I've read a couple of articles on ESPN about this and they never explain in detail why.

723342[/snapback]

 

Because hitters can figure him out after a few AB's, as a reliever they'd only be seeing him once, and plus he only has like 2 truly effective pitches, 3 if you count his weak changeup.

 

I think somewhere down the road he'll move into a closer or setup role.

This may be off topic but does anybody know why some people think D-train is better as a pitcher in a set up role? I've read a couple of articles on ESPN about this and they never explain in detail why.

723342[/snapback]

When you see a windup like Dontrelle's, the motion is deceptive to almost any batter in the League. Now, if you have to see Dontrelle's windup after you've seen a normal one for the previous 7 innings, then you're going to have a very troublesome time trying to pick up the ball until it's right at the plate, never a good thing for any hitter. His fastball and slider being his only two actual pitches is another reason why this is an attractive option, because he doesn't have to worry about mixing pitches when batters will only see him once. He can throw everything he's got and not have to worry.

 

There are two problems with this IMO: Dontrelle is way too valuable an arm to throw in the pen when there isn't an equal or better replacement at this time to plug into the starting rotation, and the fact that at this point in his career Dontrelle is nothing more than a control pitcher. We've all seen it, Willis doesn't really have the stuff to be able to blow it by hitters on a whim when nothing works like AJ and Josh do. He needs to be able to deceive the hitter so he can get his K or his out in the field. When he doesn't have his control, it's going to be a long night for the bullpen. The problem with being a control pitcher coming out of the pen is that as a setup man he'd be coming in with a lead of 3 runs or less, to get a hold and hand the ball to whomever are closer would be. If he doesn't have his control that night, that three run lead can disappear in an awful quick hurry, especially if there were runners on base already when he is brought in. As a starter you can get away with this alot easier than you can as a reliever.

 

The best bet for Dontrelle is to pick up a third pitch, whether it to be a further refining of his changeup (thus making his fastball that much more powerful, especially with the deceptive windup) or learning a pitch with good movement, like a cruveball or a sinker. While I have in the past been an advocate of moving him to the pen, it's not really an option because of his reliance on control. If he ever got enough movement on his pitches where he could beat hitters without his best, then it could work. But if that happens he'd still be a starter anyways.

Lefties increase the velocity in their fastball until about age 24 or 25. By the time he's 25 he could be throwing 95 or 96 mph, which would make him an outstanding lefty starter. I agree that he needs to add a pitch. I think he should add a splitter and improve his changeup. His slider is more of a slurve, so adding a curve wouldn't benefit him as much as adding a splitter. You need 3 plus pitches to be a top pitcher in this league... he needs to improve his fastball's velocity and improve his slider to get there.