Rotation Depth

People who follow the Tigers get very lost in the ramifications of losing Placido Polanco (Philly GM Ruben Amaro said the other day, "we got Polanco because he's a baseball player". Gee...stunning revelation. It'd be like Ernst&Young saying "we got Smith because that guy is an Actuary's Actuary". Amaro's comment gets a "3-Puke" rating on my 5-Puke Scale.) and the Tigers losing Curtis Granderson. They also worry about how the rookies will hold up and what Johnny Damon has left in the tank. I'm not saying these are illegitimate concerns. But 2010's fate is in the hands of the pitching staff. The Starting Rotation to more exact.

Justin Verlander was a pure and simple stud last year. You can't ask for a whole lot more than what he gave them. He also threw 10% more pitches than any other pitcher in baseball. How will he bounce back from that workload? Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer are young pitchers that both exceeded their prior workloads by rather substantial margins. Their early progress this season will be something to track very closely.

Then you get into the Comeback Moshpit. Bonderman, Willis, Robertson, Galarraga. All have had issues....all of them with different levels of concern. Can the Tigers cobble together 50 to 55 starts from these guys that at least approach league-average production? Kind of hard to envision to be honest. Bonderman gives us the most hope I think. At least he looked good in his first Spring outing fwiw.

I suppose we must also acknowledge the presence of Eddie Bonine and Al Figaro. I imagine there is some utility to be reaped from those two. I really have a hard time imagining the Tigers leaning on the young Casey Crosby this season. I see his arrival ETA is sometime around the middle of the 2011 campaign.

The Tigers held it together on the strength of their starting pitching last season and their defense. The pitching sucked wind in September when the Washburn Trade failed to give them the infusion of starting pitching needed. It was the right move that just had a bad result. Can the Tigers go the distance w/what's on hand this year? I dunno.....I really would have liked to see them roll the dice on a Rich Harden or a Ben Sheets this year. I think that would have been money better spent then the cash they invested on Jose Valverde.....