Nate Robertson Gets His Old Job Back
by Ian Casselberry on Sep 7, 2009 7:50 AM EDT
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Lost in the afterglow of the Detroit Tigers' comeback 5-3 win at Tampa Bay yesterday was a decision about the starting rotation. (It wasn't lost in the comments of our recap, however, as people talked about this quite a bit.)
As first reported by MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (subbing in for Jason Beck), Jim Leyland has decided to keep Nate Robertson as a starter, and move Armando Galarraga to the bullpen.
This development isn't a big surprise, in light of Robertson's performance in his last two starts. He's allowed one earned run in 10 innings (for an 0.90 ERA), with eight strikeouts and three walks. His velocity seems to have returned, as well as the sharp movement on his slider. Those growths in Robertson's left elbow probably inhibited him more than we realized as he was struggling to make the team during Spring Training (and perhaps throughout last season, as well).
Robertson will start Friday night at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Galarraga, on the other hand, who was optioned to Toledo to rest an inflamed elbow, started on Saturday and didn't look very good at all. Pitching less than three innings, he gave up six runs, four hits, and three walks. Leyland didn't completely rule out a return to the rotation for Galarraga, depending on how Jarrod Washburn's sore left knee recovers. (Washburn is scheduled to start on Thursday vs. the Royals.) But the plan for now is to keep him in the bullpen.
As you know if you've been watching Galarraga all season, he hasn't looked quite right since April. The question is whether the problems are physical or mental with Galarraga. Obviously, the sore elbow is an issue right now, but he's had continued difficulty throwing strikes. Leyland has been critical of him for not being aggressive enough and attacking hitters.
I've been of the opinion that Galarraga suddenly fancied himself a strikeout pitcher, after averaging approximately one per inning through his four April starts. That's not how he found success last year.
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Count me as one of the people very happy that Nate is pitching well again. It was even painful to watch him lately, he was pitching so poorly – I can’t even imagine how awful he felt going to the mound with that assortment of crappiness as his arsenal. Now if the team could only support him with some runs …
"For myself I am an optimist - it does not seem to be much use being anything else." -- Winston S. Churchill
by Baroque on Sep 7, 2009 8:54 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I never thought about Galaragga being a trying to be a strikeout pitcher...
but the idea makes sense now that I think about it. His main problem (since his stellar april) is his location. He’s just not hitting his spots. Not being a power pitcher, location is his best option for strikeouts. However his location is not great. The strength of his game relies upon the movement he gets on his pitches.
Now I think Galaragga realizes this though. But he got this bad idea about pitching in his head. It’s probably best to just shut him down the rest of the season. Keep him in the bullpen, but make him your emergency man. I think Rick Knapp can convince him to just throw strikes but he’s gonna need time to get back to who he was.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
by madpoopz on Sep 7, 2009 9:25 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Galarraga regressed
BABIP is 50 points higher than last year, K/BB rate has fallen 50 points, HR rate is up ever so slightly. Provided he gets that K/BB ratio back to where it was, he’ll work as an innings eater type- so there’s no need to give up hope. But he’s just not a great starter.
President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.
by demondeaconsbaseball on Sep 7, 2009 9:39 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I know I'm a really big Mando fan but....
but BABIP is most often used to spot fluky season. Between his short amount of time with the Rangers, his ‘08 season, and the start of this season Mando’s BABIP improved from ’07 – ’08 and was probably right with it in April this year. BABIP runs high or low usually and to see consistency at any point is pretty rare amongst just the innings eater types.
Armando’s numbers on GB/FB are pretty much the same as his most successful season. So he’s not getting smacked any differently really. Plus his HR/FB is lower than last year.
I know that one could argue that essentially Armando has only spent one season up in the bigs really and that the drop off in production is the result of big league hitters figuring him out. To me though the production drop off after April was to severe to just call his ’08 season a fluke. My guess is that the problem with Armando has become more mental than physical and time off will be what is best for him to get back to being the better than average pitcher I think he is.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
by madpoopz on Sep 7, 2009 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But it was .247 in 08
That screams fluky season.
President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.
by demondeaconsbaseball on Sep 7, 2009 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
it seems to me
he wasn’t nearly as good in 08 as his traditional stats would indicate — and the peripherals back that up.
But somewhere between April and May, it wasn’t just a stat thing. It was just so sudden lf a change that it has to be more than a luck thing. I just wonder if there isn’t an injury being hidden. Or maybe there was some sort of change to his mechanics made and it’s just got him all screwed up. Maybe it’s some combination of the both.
He seemed to take a step forward in April, finally striking out people in bunches rather than having to rely on his defense for all the outs. He had a strikeout an inning in April. He did look like a good pitcher, moving things around, getting the kind of movement on his pitches a softer thrower needs. After that, he’s never been the same.
I suppose April is actually the outlier month in his career, although after a bad May and June the strikeout rate did start to improve around early July and seems more in line with the norm again.
I just keep coming back to the fact the downfall was so swift though. It just seemed like one start, he had his stuff, the next, he didn’t.
In any case, I don’t trust him this season but maybe it can be straightened out by next. He should be a decent fifth starter option. As is, he’s not even that.
by Kurt Mensching on Sep 7, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that was pretty much the point I was trying to make...
just a bit more eloquent.
It seems like something happened to Armando. What we don’t know. What we do know is that he isn’t pitching like he’s supposed too.
My Music: Some Sorta Giant
by madpoopz on Sep 7, 2009 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's understandable
It might be interesting to look at team strength (who he pitched against), but I wonder if this could be a mechanical problem or a case of Armando trying to pitch through injury.
I’ve always maintained (well, since 2008) that he can always be a fourth starter. If shutting him down and giving him an MRI gets us a solid 4/4.5 ERA innings eater, I’m game. We can use Miner to spell Kid Rick
President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.
by demondeaconsbaseball on Sep 7, 2009 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh how far we've come
Last year, a Galaragga start was our best chance for a win. Now, he’s in the bullpen. Obviously, part of that is him, but it also speaks to the rest of the guys (and Bonderman isn’t even back yet!). It’s hard to recognize it when you’re up close — we get nitpicky watching these guys day in and day out — but this is a Great pitching staff.
by Misopogon on Sep 7, 2009 9:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
whatever happens...
i want galarraga to get his game back because of what he meant to the team last year. Without him, there’s a good chance we lose 100 games which would have been even more embarassing. I’m happy Nate is back, he can be effective, and I always thought he was a hard-luck pitcher, especially in ’06.
by RudeMood19 on Sep 7, 2009 12:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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