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I liked reading this quote from Leyland in today’s Freep
“Our 13 position players — and this is a big factor — would look at me like I was nuts if I didn’t take those two guys,” Leyland said. “I think I would lose some credibility. They’d look at me and say, ‘What are these guys doing? What are they looking at?’ “
Alan Trammell made a mistake last spring by taking Bobby Higginson instead of Marcus Thames. Higginson was clearly on his last legs while Thames tore up spring training. In the process it seems like he lost some other members of the team. Leyland seems very aware of the situation and didn’t want to make the same mistake.
However, I didn’t like reading this quote, also from the Freep
Leyland doesn’t rule out that Zumaya will someday return to starting. But he doesn’t plan to insert him in the rotation if a starter gets hurt soon.“We’ve got him programmed,” Leyland said of the relief role.
Zumaya being typecast into a relief role is my only qualm about him moving to the bullpen. While that may ultimately be his best role, he has way too much potential at age 21 to not be given the opportunity to start.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hopefully, what Leyland is saying is that we have other options for spot starts, so he doesn’t want to jerk the kid around. Let him concentrate on being a successful reliever. If the decision is made to give him a chance at starting, it should be made on its own merits. Not as a knee-jerk reaction to an injury.
Great to see the young guys. I like the fact that Zumaya will have a chance to develop into either a starter or a reliever and not overload his arm.
Steve - Rochester