and his name is AJ Burnett. The marlins should do what the braves did a couple of years - place one of their best arms in the bullpen to minimize the risk of recurring arm injuries (ala John Smoltz). Mr Smoltz excelled in his role. Granted we need to get another arm to compensate or elevate Ismael Valdez from the injury list to take his place.

:plain

 

The Marlins also have 3 players (Mota, Jones, Alfonseca) who could be/are closers. This is AJ's contract year, no way does he become a closer...

Not only do the Marlins already have many closer candidates but try running that past AJ. lol

 

AJ would hate that idea. He would lose millions in his career.

Being in the bullpen is worse for your arm than being a starter.

AJ also has an opponents BA of .423 in his first 15 pitches of the game this year.. probably not a good thing for a closer.

Being in the bullpen is worse for your arm than being a starter.

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Not when you're throwing 100 MPH in the 6th inning because you're too stubborn to listen to your coaches and take it easy on your arm.

 

With one inning stints, AJ could go in there throw as hard as he wants to and probably not have it effect his arm as much as throwing 100 pitches an outing. I Know we have Jones, Mota, but I think the originals posters point is we have a potentially DOMINANT closer -- ala Eric Gagne. That first inning stat is strage -- but teams wouldnt do well vs AJ after seeing AL Leiters 85 MPH Cutter all night or Brian Moehler's 87 MPH fastball dart down to their feet. I'm not for or against making Burnett a closer -- but I have no doubt in my mind that he has the stuff(obviously) and the mindset to become one of the, if not THE best closer in all of baseball.

 

That being said -- who's going to replace AJ in the rotation? I have no faith in Ismael Valdez and no one in our farm system is ready, so unless they go outside the organization its a hard move to make. What makes us such a good team is our starters -- take AJ out and our rotation all of a sudden is very average (Beckett-Willis-Moehler-Leiter-Valdez? yuk)

Being in the bullpen is worse for your arm than being a starter.

781564[/snapback]

 

Not when you're throwing 100 MPH in the 6th inning because you're too stubborn to listen to your coaches and take it easy on your arm.

 

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That problem is what's keeping AJ from greatness.

We have enough solid closers that can get the job done.

Being in the bullpen is worse for your arm than being a starter.

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Not when you're throwing 100 MPH in the 6th inning because you're too stubborn to listen to your coaches and take it easy on your arm.Yeah, that's taxing on your arm - and it's still not as bad as being a relief pitcher.

 

Even being a closer, AJ will have to pitch consecutive days (30 pitches in three days is worse than 110 in one, and that's not counting all the warm up pitches he'd have to throw in the actual pen), warm up and sit down, warm up and sit down, and then warm up and sit down some more. He'd have to be ready to go on a moment's notice, anyday, no matter what.

 

Putting AJ in the pen would destroy him for good.

and his name is AJ Burnett. The marlins should do what the braves did a couple of years - place one of their best arms in the bullpen to minimize the risk of recurring arm injuries (ala John Smoltz). Mr Smoltz excelled in his role. Granted we need to get another arm to compensate or elevate Ismael Valdez from the injury list to take his place.

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Just one question, how does Ismael Valdez, a perennial fifth starter with and ERA over 4 in his career, compensates for moving AJ to the bullpen? They are not comparable in terms of strikeouts or anything else. We don't need more pitchers with closer potential. We need starting pitchers. And since when it is a wise move to address a position that is not an issue by creating a hole in our rotation? :blink:

Being in the bullpen is worse for your arm than being a starter.

781564[/snapback]

 

Not when you're throwing 100 MPH in the 6th inning because you're too stubborn to listen to your coaches and take it easy on your arm.Yeah, that's taxing on your arm - and it's still not as bad as being a relief pitcher.

 

Even being a closer, AJ will have to pitch consecutive days (30 pitches in three days is worse than 110 in one, and that's not counting all the warm up pitches he'd have to throw in the actual pen), warm up and sit down, warm up and sit down, and then warm up and sit down some more. He'd have to be ready to go on a moment's notice, anyday, no matter what.

 

Putting AJ in the pen would destroy him for good.

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Well we can agree to disagree -- plenty of power pitchers have struggled to keep their health in the rotation and dominated as closers. Gagne, Smoltz, Lidge( I think he started in the minors....) just to name a few Rarely do dominant closers ever need 30 pitches to get through the 9th -- and while I understand preparing for the worst is neccessary, it doesn't mean thats fact. Closers rarely get up, sit down, get up and sit down like you suggest either. If they're warming up in the 8th they almost always come in the 9th or not at all.

Being in the bullpen is worse for your arm than being a starter.

781564[/snapback]

 

Not when you're throwing 100 MPH in the 6th inning because you're too stubborn to listen to your coaches and take it easy on your arm.Yeah, that's taxing on your arm - and it's still not as bad as being a relief pitcher.

 

Even being a closer, AJ will have to pitch consecutive days (30 pitches in three days is worse than 110 in one, and that's not counting all the warm up pitches he'd have to throw in the actual pen), warm up and sit down, warm up and sit down, and then warm up and sit down some more. He'd have to be ready to go on a moment's notice, anyday, no matter what.

 

Putting AJ in the pen would destroy him for good.

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Well we can agree to disagree -- plenty of power pitchers have struggled to keep their health in the rotation and dominated as closers. Gagne, Smoltz, Lidge( I think he started in the minors....) just to name a few Rarely do dominant closers ever need 30 pitches to get through the 9th -- and while I understand preparing for the worst is neccessary, it doesn't mean thats fact. Closers rarely get up, sit down, get up and sit down like you suggest either. If they're warming up in the 8th they almost always come in the 9th or not at all.

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:whistle :thumbup

Well we can agree to disagree -- plenty of power pitchers have struggled to keep their health in the rotation and dominated as closers. Gagne, Smoltz, Lidge( I think he started in the minors....) just to name a few Rarely do dominant closers ever need 30 pitches to get through the 9th -- and while I understand preparing for the worst is neccessary, it doesn't mean thats fact. Closers rarely get up, sit down, get up and sit down like you suggest either. If they're warming up in the 8th they almost always come in the 9th or not at all.

I guess we'll have to. Alot of the people you mentioned became relievers partially due to injury but also due to lack of effectiveness in the starting rotation (Smotlz nonwithstanding). A closer doesn't get up and sit down as much as another reliever will, but he'll still have to warm up days he doesn't pitch, go several days without pitching, and then sometimes pitch 4 or more days in a row. The lack of a structured schedule is killer on your arm and is one of the reasons Smoltz returned to the rotation.

 

BTW, 30 pitches in 3 days referred to 10 pitches in three separate outings or 15 pitches in two outings, not 30 in one.

You think AJ was pissed when he couldn't start at home or the team wouldn't meet his salary demands or when Jack proposed a 4-man rotation in late September? Tell him he's the closer in his walk year.

That is an interesting proposal though, I would have never thought of moving AJ to the pen as the closer, as crazy and as remote as the idea seems. But with the bullpen we have, I don't think there is a need to do something so drastic. We just need Mota and Alfonseca back.