2010 Spring Training Rotation Thread

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

RHP Ricky Nolasco will start Tuesday's exhibition opener against UM.

via Juan Rodriguez's twitter page

[KnuckleBalls]

Gonna be a true test for Ricky.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

I checked and him starting that game puts him in line to start game 2 of the regular season on April 7 on regular rest. Expect JJ to start on Saturday, March 6th for the same reason.

I'm going to put all the info about who will start when in here but I figured we could also use this thread to discuss the race for the 5th starter spot (since most likely Volstad and Sanchez have the #3 and #4 spots).

[Swifty]

So a little under 120 hours away!?!

Amazing!

[Jewbility]

NOLASKKKKKKKKKKKKURVVVVVE

[BigGameFish]

Marlins arent playing at Mark Light this year right? Do they ever?

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

joecapMARLINS: #Marlins Anibal Sanchez will start the Marlins first Grapefruit League game on Thursday. Volstad Friday and Josh Johnson on Saturday

via Twitter

Nothing too surprising.
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A little more specifically:

Manager Fredi Gonzalez revealed his rotation for the early part of the Grapefruit League schedule. Ricky Nolasco and Ryan Tucker are slated to go in Wednesday’s exhibition opener against the University of Miami, followed by Anibal Sanchez and Rick VandenHurk Thursday against the Nationals;Chris Volstad and Hayden Penn Friday against the Mets in Port St. Lucie; Josh Johnson, and Sean West and Andrew Miller Saturday and Sunday, respectively,*against the Cardinals.

The next time through, the order of the piggybacking pitchers will flip flop. The starters initially will throw two innings or 35-40 pitches.

[Fish and Chips]

JUPITER — Rick VandenHurk was hoping to have a full season behind him with his full repertoire of pitches, but that was derailed by an elbow injury that limited him to 11 games last season.

Now VandenHurk, the 6-foot-5 right-hander, is healthy and armed with an improving slider and sinker as he competes for one of the final three spots in the Marlins rotation.

"It was tough on him in the past because he was relying on that high (fastball) and that curveball," catcher John Baker said. "Those are both pitches that aren't in the strike zone.

"A sinker and a slider, those pitches are in the strike zone for a longer period of time. For the long term it's beneficial for him to throw those pitches."

VandenHurk, who is from the Netherlands, works with country mate Bert Blyleven. Although they have not seen each other since last summer, the two often communicate. Blyleven was the pitching coach for the Dutch team in last year's World Baseball Classic of which VandenHurk was a member.

"He tells me all the time command the fastball, attack the strike zone," VandenHurk said. "He's been tremendous."

VandenHurk, 24, started developing the slider a year ago but elbow woes cost him about four months of the season. He returned to the Marlins in late July and was 3-2 with a 4.20 ERA. He pitched in Puerto Rico for about six weeks following the season.

The biggest difference last season was his command. VandenHurk had 49 strikeouts and 21 walks, a 2.3 to 1 ratio. Entering the season he had 102 strikeout and 58 walks in 22 big league games, a 1.8 to 1 ratio.

"I needed to develop the slider because I need to throw my breaking pitch more for strikes and I had trouble doing that with my curveball," said VandenHurk. "I had games where it was for strikes. When it wasn't they started eliminating it and bam, they're sitting on the fastball."

VandenHurk will continue developing his slider and sinker this spring. He is scheduled to pitch Thursday against Washington in the Marlins' first Grapefruit League game. He will follow Anibal Sanchez.

VandenHurk is looking for any kind of edge considering the competition for the three spots behind Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco. VandenHurk, Sanchez, Chris Volstad, Andrew Miller, Sean West and Hayden Penn are vying for three spots.

"I'm looking for guys to throw strikes," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That's where we got in trouble in May. We're looking for guys to get over that and start pounding the strike zone."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/...es-302450.html

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Speaking of VandenHurk, he has at least one beat writer thinking he may crack the rotation;

Question: Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco head the starting rotation. Then what?

Answer: Marlins management has served notice that spring training competition will determine the 3, 4 and 5 spots in the rotation, with RHP Anibal Sanchez, RHP Chris Volstad, LHP Andrew Miller, RHP Rick VandenHurk, RHP Sean West and RHP Hayden Penn vying for those jobs. But Penn is out of options and is the clear long shot. And Sanchez and Volstad own the edge for two of the spots. That leaves -- for all realistic purposes -- Miller, VandenHurk and West for the fifth and final spot. The Edge? VandenHurk.

Five questions facing the Florida Marlins entering Spring Training

I'm still not sure I believe that Fredi and the front office would actually go with 5 righthanders in the rotation but I guess we'll see.

[Fish and Chips]

im also surprised how serious Penn is being considered too. He's rotating starts with Volstad, and been mention often in most rotation discusion. He is a long shot, as Navarro mentioned, but he probably going to be given a longer leash than some expected since he is out of options. maybe if he wows in ST, he can used for trade bait, for a lefty on the bench, or steal a spot. Or more likely he sucks, and hopefully doesnt get claimed, and is slashed in AAA for depth

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

I think Penn is more being showcased for trade bait. Out of all the rotation candidates, Penn is the only one that was not on the active roster at the end of last season. I don't think he really has much of a shot at this rotation.

In fact, Frisaro addressed this in today's mailbag.

Every time I hear the candidates to fill the Marlins' three available starting pitching spots, I notice Hayden Penn is in the list. I haven't heard much about him. That being said, are there any projected favorites to win the spot? Is the organization putting all of them on even footing in Spring Training?
-- Alex S., Plantation, Fla.

Penn was acquired from the Orioles at the end of Spring Training last year for infielder Robert Andino. The right-hander opened the season with the Marlins, pitching long relief. He made one start, but he spent most of the year at Triple-A New Orleans. Because he is out of options, he has to make the club or he will be designated for assignment. So, there is a chance he could be traded if the team feels he doesn't fit its plans. Now, last year, he cleared waivers and was retained by the organization.
As for favorites, the team says performance will be the deciding factor. The fact that Anibal Sanchez and Chris Volstad have already been successful in the big leagues makes them front-runners. Miller has an option remaining, so if he struggles, he could be sent to Triple-A. But if Miller is pitching well in Spring Training, he would be a favorite to be in the rotation. It's still too early to say, because the team hasn't played games yet. Then you have the chance of injury, which also changes plans.

Inbox: Can Jimenez make Marlins' roster?

[Swifty]

Only way Penn wins the 5th spot is if we get hit by injury.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Only way Penn wins the 5th spot is if we get hit by injury.

Or 4.
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The name that came up during the Marlins internal discussions about Chris Volstad's 2009 season was Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright. After drawing that parallel, everyone felt much better.

Over his last 39 Triple-A starts (2004-05), Wainwright went 14-14 with a 4.65 ERA. He struck out 2.7 batters for every one he walked. Last season, he was 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA, a 3.21:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and finished third in the National League Cy Young balloting.

"We can only hope that happens with Chris, but I think that's the kind of talent we're talking about," President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest said.

Another ineffective campaign from Volstad probably wouldn't dash the Marlins' postseason aspirations, but you could argue he's among the keys to them getting there. The Marlins are confident the Josh Johnson-Ricky Nolasco tandem can hold its own against anybody's one-two. Fifth starters don't get teams to the playoffs. The Marlins have to make up ground with Anibal Sanchez and Volstad, both of whom should be in the rotation barring disastrous springs.

Volstad's struggles last season were well-documented. His groundball-to-fly ball percentage dipped from 1.86 to 1.47. According to Fangraphs, a crippling 17.5 percent of the fly balls Volstad allowed left the park, compared to 3.9 percent his rookie season. In addition, in 2008 Volstad stranded 77.1 percent of his base runners, a figure that dropped to 68.8 percent in 2009.

"I'm a believer that nobody learns from success," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "You have to fail, and this game will humble you in a hurry. Last year was a big learning experience for him…He's the type of kid that can do that, learn from his mistakes and…wipe the slate clean."

Though Volstad ultimately was demoted to Triple-A for an August start, his 2009 season wasn't a total train wreck. His strikeouts per nine innings rose from to 5.5 to 6.1, and his walks per nine dropped from 3.8 to 3.3.

The problem stemmed from hitters no longer pounding Volstad's sinker into the ground. A higher arm slot kept the pitch on the same plane and it didn't run as much, hence the 29 home runs allowed.

New pitching coach Randy St. Claire hasn't begun any real intensive work with Volstad. Based on video he saw during the offseason, St. Claire isn't calling for a major overhaul.

"His mechanics aren't that bad," St. Claire said. "I've looked at him and I don't think there are a lot of adjustments to be done. I need to get him focused and confident, and pound that strike zone and trust his stuff, have a game plan to study the hitters. Watching his stuff and watching his delivery, it's pretty solid. Now it becomes those other finer things he has to work at."

Admittedly Volstad, like many young pitchers, couldn't overcome the tendency to do more when things weren't working.

"I think I was trying to force the issue a little bit last year instead of realizing it's a lot of basics, simple mechanical things, and keeping the ball down instead of trying to make the nastiest pitch ever to get guys out," Volstad said. "You think you have to give that little extra or try that much harder. A lot of times it's the opposite. You're trying too hard and that's when you get into more trouble."

Volstad doesn't make his Grapefruit League debut until Friday. For now at least he feels "more relaxed and natural" on the mound.

Said Gonzalez: "We saw special his first year. Sometimes the sophomore year is a learning year. Now he needs to put that behind him and go forward."

Volstad looks for that sinking (fastball) feeling

[Swifty]

If Penn is in the conversation for the 4 spot, we're either legitimately fucked or he threw a perfect (and I mean no baserunners perfect) spring.

[Party]

I heard all season ticket holders would get a refund if Hayden Penn were named 4th starter.


True story.