My kids’ latest running gag is to go around singing Christmas songs, but replacing the word “Christmas” with the word “fish stick”.
“I’m dreaming of a white fish stick…” “On the first day of fish sticks, my true love gave to me…” “Have a holly jolly fish stick…” “Fish stick is coming, the goose is getting fat…”
So is it any wonder that the first thought that passed into my head upon reading this story from Ken Rosenthal was this:
“…although it’s been said many times, many ways: Mike Piazza to you.”
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I’m happy about singing signing Piazza. He won’t quite be Frank Thomas, but he’s a good fit. A healthy year from Chavez and Crosby might make up for the difference between Thomas and Piazza. I have hope.
On the other hand, I’m not so sure I like signing Alan Embree and moving Joe Kennedy to the rotation. Kennedy was fabulous out of the pen last year, but I’ve never seen him do anything but struggle as a starter. I’d rather keep him in a role where he had success.
Plus, I saw enough Alan Embree here in the Bay Area as a Giant to know how flaky he can be. Like Jay Witasick, he can be good at times, and at other times he can get so out of sync that you want to send him to single-A to learn how to pitch again. I don’t need that kind of frustration, thank you.
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And while I’m peddling in rumors: can we please have an A’s trade rumor that doesn’t involve the Mets? C’mon! There are 28 other teams! This same old stuff is getting really boring. I don’t care if it’s real or not. If nothing else, just make something up. I’m begging you.
1. When you say you've never seen Kennedy do anything as a starter but struggle, do you mean that you are basing that only on what you've actually seen him do as a starter while with the A's?
Because he was pretty durned good as a starter for the Rox in 2004. FIP of 4.03, ERA+ of 140.
I don't expect him to be doing that again, but I think he can contribute pretty well in that role. I would suggest that the team be sure to let him know he will be starting for sure before ST, to allow him to prepare correctly. I assume they would do that.
I think he should be given at least 10 starts to see what they have there.
2. Yeah, I didn't see him pitch at all when he was with Colorado. But I saw him start with Tampa Bay, and he wasn't very good, and I've seen him start with Oakland, and he wasn't very good.
But he was very good as a reliever, so why mess with a good thing? To re-prove the Peter Principle?
3. Count me as skeptical about the Piazza signing. His OPS+ hasn't been above 124 since 2002, and I'm starting to really believe the argument about AL/NL disparity. Especially given that Beane is apparently keeping Melhuse around to catch once a month, Piazza has no positional flexibility to enhance his value.
Over the last three years, he's hit 267/344/465 in two pitchers parks. I'll be surprised if he matches that in Oakland.
4. On the Kennedy front, although he frustrates you guys, the move is pretty good on the A's front. Embreee is a very capable pitcher in the bullpen, and they get a guy like kennedy to fill up the 5th spot in the rotation. Considering the FA out there and what its gonna cost them for a starting pitcher, i.e Adam Eaton, Vicente Padilla, they basically got a starter for the price of a reliever. Is the bullpen any weaker? I dont think so. Is the rotation any stronger? probably not, but Kennedy is an average to above average starter. erratic yes, but seriously he's a 5th starter and in the playoffs he and embree will both be in the bullpen anyway.
5. By "average to above average starter", i mean compared to other 5th starters.