Rattle him pretty good :

 

http://www.sportsultra.com/mlb/team/florid...?cp=f&a=596

3 innings and about 60 pitches. Seems like pitch count was a big problem last season too, even in his good outings.

 

Needs more seasoning.

3 innings and about 60 pitches. Seems like pitch count was a big problem last season too, even in his good outings.

 

Needs more seasoning.

Needs to move to the bullpen with only 2 pitches. :mischief

3 innings and about 60 pitches. Seems like pitch count was a big problem last season too, even in his good outings.

 

Needs more seasoning.

Needs to move to the bullpen with only 2 pitches. :mischief

 

If he can't pitch at the major league level with his existing reportoire he's better off going back to AA or AAA and learning how to pitch and/or acquire another pitch rather than failing out of bullpen and seeing little playing time. I don't even think there's a roster spot for him among the seven relievers we'll carry. He either makes it as a starter or goes to the minors and waits for an roster spot to open up.

 

Fredi's comments about pounding the strike zone suggests the problem isn't his ability to pitch, it's his agressiveness and perhaps his self-confidence, neither of which will improve by being the seventh (read mop-up) guy out of the pen twice a week. If Carlos Martinez doesn't have a spot, Vanden Hurk certainly isn't getting one.

 

Gregg - Lindstrom - Pinto - Tankersley - Miller - Gardner - Kensing. That's your pen until further notice.

 

I know you believe we're trading (or ought to trade) Gregg, Miller and Gardner at the break but until that happens, if it happens, Vanden Hurk has about ten days to prove he's a major leaguer or he goes back to the minors. Badenhop and Barone, Volstad and Hernandez have all pitched far better than Vanden Hurk and the schedule only requires a four man rotation for the first few weeks so give one them some MLB experience time before you have to make a decision on a fifth starter.

3 innings and about 60 pitches. Seems like pitch count was a big problem last season too, even in his good outings.

 

Needs more seasoning.

Needs to move to the bullpen with only 2 pitches. :mischief

 

If he can't pitch at the major league level with his existing reportoire he's better off going back to AA or AAA and learning how to pitch and/or acquire another pitch rather than failing out of bullpen and seeing little playing time. I don't even think there's a roster spot for him among the seven relievers we'll carry. He either makes it as a starter or goes to the minors and waits for an roster spot to open up.

 

Fredi's comments about pounding the strike zone suggests the problem isn't his ability to pitch, it's his agressiveness and perhaps his self-confidence, neither of which will improve by being the seventh (read mop-up) guy out of the pen twice a week. If Carlos Martinez doesn't have a spot, Vanden Hurk certainly isn't getting one.

 

Gregg - Lindstrom - Pinto - Tankersley - Miller - Gardner - Kensing. That's your pen until further notice.

 

I know you believe we're trading (or ought to trade) Gregg, Miller and Gardner at the break but until that happens, if it happens, Vanden Hurk has about ten days to prove he's a major leaguer or he goes back to the minors. Badenhop and Barone, Volstad and Hernandez have all pitched far better than Vanden Hurk and the schedule only requires a four man rotation for the first few weeks so give one them some MLB experience time before you have to make a decision on a fifth starter.

I didn't say go into the MLB bullpen. I would like to start grooming RP in the minors, and I'm not talking about Marceaux and J. Delgado. I'm talking about Vanden Hurk, Cruz, and eventually one of Sinkbiel or Tucker (I'd let them get through AA before making a decision there). Of course the organization is going to try to get maximum value out of all of them by developing them into starters, but we're right on the cusp on development terms where SP/RP decisions need to be made on some of these guys. Hurk and Cruz, and I'd say Nolasco at the MLB level, are going to be the first ones and I say just do it now to those former two. We have plenty of arms. Let guys get used to throwing every other day/2-3 days in a row and build up that different kind of stamina.