Report: Willis Likely to Be Released; Should Marlins Be Interested?

[m26555]

Well, our greatest weakness by far is our pitching. So he is in at least the realm of our needs.

But yeah, the perfect sense thing is not making sense to me either. I'm sure the FO will look into it if it's true that DET will release him.

He's a lefty. He's cheap. He's had a very nice spring. He is an outstanding clubhouse guy. He is beloved by the fans. Maybe a change of scenery will do him some good? I don't see what's so hard about making sense out of this.

[Swifty]

Except do we really know Dontrelle can even give us 200 innings at an ERA around 5?

He hasn't even been able to be good when he's been in the minors, and he's been atrocious in the majors over the last two seasons. And yeah, he has a .90 ERA in Spring Training, but that comes with 5 walks over 10 innings and only 6 strikeouts.

We have people saying that "We'll still be talking about Miller's upside 4 years from now". Well, we're 4 years removed from Dontrelle even being a passable option as a starter on a good team.

And then there's the questions of whether his mental state is solid enough to stay up and handle the potential for failure, not to mention the extremely troubling physical problems that have obviously been a problem for him.

Like I said, at the minimum, it's worth a shot. But I wouldn't count on him for anything.

I absolutely think he's capable of giving us 200 innings with around a 5 ERA, but that's only if we identify him as a workhorse and nothing more, basically a left-handed Livan Hernandez. Leave him out there, tell him every start is basically going to be a take one for the team start and watch him save the bullpen, which is exactly what we're going to need with Volstad and Sanchez in the rotation, and likely pitching back-to-back.

Our 5th starter is going to have to eat innings, Dontrelle has shown an ability to eat innings, and if he comes here and he consistently has a 9 walk first inning and he's done, guess what, we're in the same position we are today: hoping for Miller or RVH or Volstad to be the horse in the rotation, it's absolutely worth a look. It's also incredibly unlikely he's released, so whatever, this is all probably moot.

[Namaste]

Does anybody here seriously think that Miller can eat innings? lol.

Like Swift said, Willis could come here and walk 6 of the first 7 batters he faces. It's totally possible. But at least in one point in his career he was effective. Miller has never been effective (Ok maybe he put together 3 good innings in a row together like twice).

If Willis is available (highly unlikely) bring him over see what happens and if he sucks we're no worse off.

[Ramp]

I'd rather give Miller the starts than Willis if that's what it would come down to

[Beef]

For a place with lots of people that seem to believe we are very close to being a playoff team, giving games away doesn't seem to fit what we need. Yeah yeah, I'll get an Andrew Miller on the mound is giving games away, but putting a guy on the mound who, over the last couple of years, has a good outing if he is below 18 bb per 9 and gets past the 3rd inning beat Andrew Miller in giving games away about 95% of the time

[Swifty]

Eh, the thing about baseball is that sometimes it's not about winning every game but putting yourself in better position to win the next one.

Our rotation is not going to be good this year unless a miracle happens. Finding a way to save the bullpen means we stand a greater chance of winning the JJ / Ricky starts when they need to be picked up. So while the 5th starter may be "giving away" his game by being a 5 ERA 200 inning guy, but he's putting us in a better position to win the JJ / Ricky starts because the bullpen gets rest.

Maybe Volstad becomes 2004 Carl Pavano, maybe Anibal finds a way to go 6 or 7 every time out instead of 5 or maybe Miller becomes LA Odalis Perez, but the organization has so much invested in them being good we're not going to ride them like mules like we could with Willis.

It's such a no lose scenario: he either comes in and is awesome (win, but not likely) comes in and gives us innings (huge win if we're not getting them from Sanchez/Volstad) or comes in and sucks and we release/demote him (neutral, because then we're back where we started with Miller or RVH). There's no unavoidably good pitcher in the back 3 of our rotation, with the kind of spring JJ has had, there's really no slam dunk anywhere in the rotation, so we owe it to ourselves to try to get any depth we can.

[Bobbob1313]

with the kind of spring JJ has had, there's really no slam dunk anywhere in the rotation

Wait, what?

[Chewford]

There's one slam dunk, and it's JJ.

The rest of the rotation though, is scary. In a bad way.

[Jewbility]

ya that 16/0 K/BB ratio is awful for Ricky.

[Chewford]

Well he started off last year crappily so I don't trust him yet.

The other three I have no idea what to expect from.

[Swifty]

Wait, what?

6 runs in his last 7 innings and an admission from him that he's not yet ready for opening day.

It's not "bad" but being not bad does not mean good.

Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson admits he’s not quite ready for opening day


by Joe Capozzi
Two weeks from Monday, Josh Johnson will start the Marlins’ season opener in New York. But JJ admitted today that he still has a ways to go before he’s ready.

He threw 80 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks. He left the game after walking Nationals pitcher John Lannan.

Asked if he felt ready for opening day, he said: “Not really. I’m definitely going to need these last starts.”

The Marlins are off tomorrow. But if Johnson stays on his regular rest, his final two starts of the spring line up against the Mets (Friday and March 31). That won’t happen, though.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez may swap one of his starts or start Johnson in a minor league game on March 31.

That's not exactly what I want to hear from the ace. Yeah, it's nice he admits he has some work to do, and I do like that aspect of it, but when the rotation looks like patchwork, at best, I want JJ and Ricky to eat lightning and crap thunder. Showing vulnerability now (and admitting it to boot) isn't awesome.
--------------------

ya that 16/0 K/BB ratio is awful for Ricky.

When you attack the strike-zone too much, it can blow up on you like it did for him in the first half. That isn't to say nibble, nibble, nibble, but there has to be a nice in-between otherwise you get the XBH kiss of death Ricky's prone to.

[Jewbility]

I know, I thought the relevant comment was made based on his current production from Spring Training.

[kylekash]

I wouldn't mind giving Willis another look. Maybe his anxiety disorder or whatever works itself out when he is back to a more familiar and comfortable place? Maybe pitching in front of 5,000 people is better suited to him then in Detroit? Not to mention he could fill our need for a lefty bat off the bench! ;-)

[Maybin]

LAKELAND, Fla. -- After two nightmarish seasons that included dreadful performances on the mound and bouts with anxiety disorder off it, Dontrelle Willis has the potential to be a nice comeback tale in 2010. Certainly, everyone in Tigers camp is rooting for a Willis resurrection. Although, not everyone is convinced it will happen, including some scouts who are still questioning his velocity and location.

There are positives for the first time in two years, though, including the fact that, Willis, 28, is said by everyone around here to finally be comfortable in the clubhouse and his own skin. He must be feeling a bit better on the mound, too, as he has a 0.82 ERA this spring. Another plus was Willis hitting 93 mph on the gun on Monday, the latest small sign he may be regaining some semblance of what was once a tremendous career. "Every time I see him pitch, he looks like the pitcher he was in Florida with us,'' says Miguel Cabrera, his teammate there and here.

That has rarely been the case since Willis and Cabrera came to the Tigers in a blockbuster trade with the Marlins in March 2008. Willis, a former National League Rookie of the Year who won a league-best 22 games for Florida in 2005, seemed to lose his ability almost as soon as he arrived, and when he was bad, he was almost off-the-charts bad. As he candidly put it during an interview recently, "I was terrible.''

In what has to be considered two of the most disappointing seasons in baseball history, Willis went 0-2 with a 9.38 ERA his first year as a Tiger, and 1-4 with a 7.49 ERA last year. His WHIP with Detroit is over 2. His confidence had fallen to zero.

Going into this spring, it looked like Willis' career was just about over. But while he's no certainty to regain his old form (or even a spot in a rotation), he's pitching well enough to be given a shot in the majors, and barring a sudden and unfortunate reversal he will be. His $12-million salary is one impetus to take him north, to be sure, but he is earning a spot on the staff. Whatever happens, he seems to be himself again.

"I'm having fun,'' Willis says.

Indeed, people around the team emphasize the changes in Willis' personal demeanor when talking about him, and that may in fact be the key for him. "He seems great, he seems relaxed. He seems a totally different guy,'' the Tigers' legendary manager Jim Leyland says.

"He seems to be at peace,'' pitching coach Rick Knapp adds.

But whether he is headed back as a pitcher remains up for debate. One scout said Willis appeared to be dealing with a back issue when he watched him pitch, and that scout said,, "He was horrible the day I saw him. He was throwing 85 with no location. He was just [fooling] minor-leaguers, but that's not going to work once the regular-season starts

When he first arrived in Lakeland two years ago, Willis definitely wasn't ready for major-league action. And he wasn't himself, and everyone could see that. Armed with a new $29-million deal as the lesser of two players who came from Florida in that trade, Willis fell to pieces practically the moment he arrived. Whether it was the new contract he signed with the Tigers before he ever threw a pitch for them or any comparison of his value to the superstar slugger Cabrera, he just flat lost it. He couldn't throw a strike. He was cranky. He was, in short, very bad.

"Sometimes the harder you work, the worse you get," Willis says. "I was in quicksand."

Willis says he learned from his experience. "Sometimes it takes struggles, and I've had my share, to make you realize what got you here," he said. "I'm enjoying my playing, and I'm enjoying my opportunity to play.''

By almost all accounts, Willis finally seems close to being his happy-go-lucky self. But whether he can regain the form that made him a sensation with the Marlins remains uncertain. Nobody's guaranteeing that yet.

It's no wonder that almost everyone around here remains cautiously optimistic. It's not only about how bad Willis was his first two years as a Tiger, but about how wacky his windup is, and how bad things can turn in a hurry if anything is slightly off in it.

Nobody will talk today about any changes he has made in his delivery, as if the slightest whisper might throw him off again. Instead, they seem to have accepted the wild windup but have emphasized mechanical "check marks.''

That strategy appears to be working, at least for the moment. Willis assessed his spring by saying, "So far, so good." But folks around here, including Willis himself, are crazily cautious. The praise still seems feint, even if it isn't intended to be. One comment heard repeatedly has been, "He's had a very good statistical spring."

In assessing Willis' situation, a Tigers person suggested a few days ago that Willis is in a three-way battle to make the rotation with Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson, two more former rotation regulars trying to return from disappointment, and another said Bonderman has the inside track for one spot, which would narrow the competition considerably. A scout agreed, saying "Bonderman's the best of the three. He's at least halfway back."
But Tuesday, the field seemed to grow a bit when Leyland mentioned Eddie Bonine and Armando Galarraga as possible candidates, which may be an indication the manager isn't overwhelmed with any of them yet. Speaking of the veteran trio of Willis, Robertson and Bonderman, who are due to make a combined $34.5 million this year, Leyland said, "They've all been OK. They've all shown improvement. But I don't think any of them have been lights out.''

Of Willis, Leyland said, "I think he feels good about himself, and he's a lot more comfortable in the organization. There are probably adjustments you have to make when you come to a new team, and he put pressure on himself. You say you don't have to make adjustments. But you really do. He is so much more who he is now than who he thinks he has to be. I couldn't be happier with him.''
The most important thing is that Willis is much happier. He has an opportunity. But considering what's come before here, it's a small window, and one he needs to take advantage of soon.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz0j8MRYsPJ

[Bingebag]

Fuck you assholes for getting my hopes up. I was about to break out the classy d-train jersey t-shirt.