When will Price enter the starting rotation?

by Price14 on Mar 10, 2009 9:04 PM EDT

Go Price!!!!!

I hope he is in no later than May. He has way to much talent to be left in AAA ball. If they don't use him its going to be a waste. His changeup needs to be worked on but he can pitch at the MLB level (ALCS). With him the rotation we have one of the MLB's best rotations. Kazmir should get back to his normal greatness. Shields can be very dominant in pressure situations. Garza has all the potential in the world. Sonny is a very above average 4th starter. Price would be outstanding against other weak pitchers.

Poll

When will David Price enter the Starting rotation?

April

9 votes

May

40 votes

June

13 votes

July

2 votes

Later than these.

0 votes

Opening Day.

3 votes

67 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Voted May

but if you look at the heater, as he continues to work on his change with Shields, Kaz and Izzy, he got a K with a change up today and a DP on one, still wont be shocked if he makes the team out of Spring

Evan Longoria and David Price - the fight for my heart

by joeybw on Mar 10, 2009 9:42 PM EDT reply actions

Contract Junkies

Any advantage to holding him back? I assume it could slow his arbitration clock, but it looks possible he could qualify for super-2 status after 2010 even if they do wait? Thoughts?

by GomesSweetGomes on Mar 10, 2009 11:11 PM EDT reply actions

Pretty sure it was like Longoria last year, holding him back in April effective delays his arb clock by one year.

by twenty5psi on Mar 10, 2009 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah there's an advantage, but I don't think the Rays are considering that at this point

Like stated below, it’s probably about innings pitched and working on that change. Send him down for a month or two to work on that change, then probably bring him up to work out of the bullpen, then put him in the starting rotation sometime during the 2nd half of the season.

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by kericr on Mar 11, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

It's about his innings pitched

That’s the number one thing. Any more than 170 innings starts to be a concern. If he’s there all year then his arm will fall off. This, I do not want. It is worth not seeing him pitch for 2 months to give him fewer innings. I still think a 6 man rotation would alleviate much of this, but that won’t happen so whatevs.

I could be wrong though

by staplemaniac on Mar 11, 2009 4:23 AM EDT reply actions

isn't he throwing innings in Durham though? I'm confused because it seems like an inning anywhere is still an inning pitched.

Regressing to the mean streets of St. Pete

by stpetelawyer on Mar 11, 2009 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions

It's easier to control his innings in Durham.

He can go out there every 5th day and throw 4, 5, 6 (whatever) innings without jeapordizing the big league team’s chances of winning or the bullpen.

by rglass44 on Mar 11, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions

I think this is a very clear and accurate commentary

on the reasoning about where Price starts the year, although I think there is an arithmetic error in it (or perhaps a factual one).

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/article982922.ece

In my view, unless Price is so dazzling that the Rays have no choice, AND they have a scheme for limiting his innings, I hope he begins the year at Durham. As for when he joins the rotation, that would depend on his progress there, but I would be happy with early June.

by bobr on Mar 11, 2009 6:45 AM EDT reply actions

It's amazing how the tone of that article has changed.

Last year the columnists in the area were doing all they could to call the FO cheap by sending Longo down. Now they toe the party line like the Boston Globe. Granted this decision has less to do with long-term money, but long-term money is just as important as long-term talent.

by rglass44 on Mar 11, 2009 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Do you have links to columns from last year

that were criticizing the Rays for being cheap in their decision on Longoria? I am not disputing you; I just do not remember that criticism being made or that being the tone of articles.

I could see Shelton doing that, maybe Tom Jones, but it does not sound to me as if Topkin, Romano or Joe Smith would write in that vein.

by bobr on Mar 11, 2009 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Nope

Just going off of memory. Granted most of what I read of local reporters is what I’m linked, so I could be off base. I just remember there being a different light cast on these articles about Longoria: not necessarily calling the team cheap, but insinuating it.

by rglass44 on Mar 11, 2009 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions

Fair enough.

I just think it would have been somewhat uncharacteristic of Topkin and Romano even to imply such a view. Not because they are unwilling to criticize the Rays but because in my reading of their columns and articles they always seem more sophisticated than that.

I imagine they would have recognized and identified the financial issue, as we all did, but it seems unlikely they would have characterized that concern as cheapness which seems more a simple minded view of the matter.

by bobr on Mar 11, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions

It was likely someone else then.

I do remember hearing these sentiments from media-types (just not sure which ones).

by rglass44 on Mar 11, 2009 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

On that score,

I am certain you are right. And I am only speculating about what Topkin and Romano said, so it is possible they did comment that way. As I said, I just find it out of character.

by bobr on Mar 11, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

rglass is correct

About last year.

by Sylar on Mar 12, 2009 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Prove it.

by bobr on Mar 13, 2009 7:05 AM EDT up reply actions

It's BS if Price isn't on the Opening Day roster

Trade Jason Hammel for a a dozen baseballs or a couple maple bats and be done with it. Screw his arb eligible years and sign him long term like we did Longoria. How much sense was it to hold Longo back?

by TheUltimateBucFan on Mar 11, 2009 9:16 PM EDT reply actions

Okay, so he's the fifth starter on opening day

and shut down by August/September. Either that or the Bullpen is worn out because they’re limiting his innings by limiting his pitch count to 70 or so a game. Unless they have some scheme like a 6-man rotation or something, there’s no way I see him on the opening day roster. He’s never pitched much more than 130 innings in a season, 200 would ruin that golden arm of his.

I could be wrong though

by staplemaniac on Mar 11, 2009 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Surely the Rays aren't going with a 6 man rotation, but I believe Price can handle the workload and shine early on....

I do think that he should get some relief here ad there throughout the season while letting Jeff Niemann spot start. I am assumming that that Hammel is traded/released. Surely the Rays have done their due diligence on David Price and won’l give him more than he can handle. I say he is on Opening Day roster as #5 starter.

by TheUltimateBucFan on Mar 13, 2009 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions

That could work

But they probably don’t want him to throw more than 170 innings including playoffs, and that’s gonna be tough to do with him as the 5th starter day 1 without throwing off his rhythm by giving him a start, then skipping a start then 2 starts or whatever. I’m not sure but that might be almost as bad.

I could be wrong though

by staplemaniac on Mar 13, 2009 2:50 AM EDT up reply actions