I don't understand how everyone views this as a phenominal idea. A starter who can win 14-16 games with an ERA in the low 4s is more valuable than a reliever who converts a save 85% of the time.
I'm with you completely. I absolutely
HATE this move.
How can someone say something like "oh, it's just the fifth starter, it doesn't matter".
I challenge anyone to do either of the following:
- Prove there is a reason why a "fifth starter" matters less than any of the other four starters
- Prove to me why the 9th inning is more important than the 8th, 7th, 6th, and so on
- Prove why a closer is more important than that fifth starter
- Prove why 75 innings is more important than 200.
- Explain to me how many of those 75 innings actually matter (how many times did Papelbon come in with a 1 run lead?)
I really hate this move. I hate the FO for doing this for so many reasons. I think it makes them a bunch of F-ing cowards, risking a guy's shoulder b/c they're too afraid to go into the season without a "lights out" closer.
It would be one thing if Papelbon had been drafted and developed with the intention of being a closer, but thats not it. The aim has always been for him to be a starter, and a good one. People say "oh, he only has one good pitch, he should be a closer." BULLSHYT, he has always been developed to be a starter. Now we'll never know how good he could have been.
Does a closer really need to have a .92 ERA to be effective?! Give me a ****** break, what a waste of an amazing arm.
Here's a list of a few guys who had MORE saves than Papelbon last season & their ERAs...
Borowski: 3.75
Street: 3.31
Jones: 3.94
Jenks: 4.00
Between Pineiro, Tavarez, Donnelly, or anybody or any AVERAGE closer, you're probably talking about a difference of 4-6 blown saves in a season versus Papelbon. Of that, we probably lose 3.
Essentially, I'm saying Papelbon as a closer is worth about 3 wins above average.
Does anyone recall the stat of how are fifth starter did last season and how bad it was? It was well below .500. Papelbon as a starter would've been worth a hell of a lot more than 3 wins versus Tavarez, Gabbard, Hansack and whatever else they throw out there until they go ahead and rush Lester out there.
PS. if any one of our FOUR starters gets injured for any amount of time, and thats all we have now, the season is F'd and we're back into the situation we were last season.